The 2012 Canadian Welding Association Annual Welding Educators Conference

Transcription

1 The 2012 Canadian Welding Association Annual Welding Educators Conference The welding industry dates back to the Bronze Age and over the years has transformed into an important multi-billion dollar industry, employing hundreds of thousands of skilled workers worldwide. Everything from bridges, buildings, and mobile phones to sophisticated aircraft that fly millions of passengers around the globe on a daily basis relies on welding as a huge component of their construction. Without welding, many of the things we take for granted that form the very basics of life and industrialization would not exist. Clearly, without the steady hands of welders and evolution, the industry and our world would be vastly different from what we know it as. Such changes come through evolution and the welding industry is not immune. As with all change, the only way to move the industry forward is to regularly seek improved methods, build upon education practices, and constantly become cognizant of emerging trends. Education is a fundamental vehicle of change. During the last CWA Welding Educators Conference (held June 27-28, 2012 at the CWB Group s head office in Milton, Ontario) several concerns around education were presented. One of the main issues raised was a lack of consistency in welding education and an absence of support from many guidance counsellors and some parents related to trades and in particular the welding industry. Uniform Educational Programs All across Canada, there are hundreds of high schools, trade unions and colleges educating students on the craft of welding, however, there is a lack of consistency when it comes to the curriculum, which may take away from the educational experience.

2 One of the most prominent issues raised during the 2012 Conference was related to consistency in education and the need for the creation of a national standard for high school and postsecondary institutions. The main concern was that instructors were using a multitude of different books and media to teach, with a broad range of teaching materials being outdated in many cases. To bring consistency into an industry, especially from the grassroots standpoint, a national educational program needs to be implemented one that all institutions utilize - whereby a high school student learning welding on the east coast will be learning the same curriculum as a student on the west coast. There could be room for regional variation of programs that would take into account the diversity of the industry. This will ensure consistency and competency among our future welders and assurance that the needs of their future employers are being consistently met, regardless of their place of education. More Financial Support

3 Welding is not an inexpensive industry to get in to; in fact, it s typically one of the most expensive programs for secondary and post-secondary institutions to administer. For colleges to have successful welding programs, they require tuition fees, complemented with government funds to provide the course. Although colleges are in relatively good financial shape and can manage the operating costs, public high schools lack sufficient funding from both provincial and federal governments to afford the high costs associated with a modern welding program. Increasing grants and pumping more financial assistance to high schools so they can properly deliver an in-depth welding program is paramount for the industry s success. As baby boomers are retiring, there is a massive gap in the industry. Government is constantly unveiling funding initiatives to hire foreign workers to fill the holes in the welding and trades industries, which is a great short term part of the solution. However, if they increase the flow of funds to high schools to further support welding, it will mitigate and fuse the gap in a more proactive manner. We must also address the skills shortage with programs for Canadian students. Promoting Welding Opportunities Students hear it on a daily basis: you need to go to university if you want to succeed in life. That statement has always been a deterrent for anyone with aspirations to get involved and make a career in the trades industry, in particular welding. The most perplexing aspect of that is typically that the statement above is coming from educators themselves as well as high school guidance counsellors. There appears to be both a stigma and lack of knowledge regarding welding and trades industries, leading to potential interested students pursuing other career paths that might not be as good a fit. During the last Conference, one guest speaker quoted what a guidance counsellor once said about welding: Welding is an option if there s no other fit for the student. In order for these misconceptions to cease, a national educational program needs to be created to educate the educators, correct misconceptions and promote the value of earning a living within a trade. Promoting the trades, in particular the benefits of a career in welding, is essential if we want to have a productive and vibrant workforce for future generations. This needs to be a broad brush campaign, targeting not only teachers, instructors and guidance counsellors, but also parents and the general public. Other misconceptions fuelling the disinterest is the notion that welders or anyone involved in the trades were not academically inclined in high school; trades require less academic skills and people studied trades because they didn t have the grades. All of these statements could not be further from the truth. In fact, welding and other trades are very technical and require a high level of competence. Welding students require a sound

4 understanding of math and communications skills in order to be successful. Not everyone can be a welder, just like not everyone can be a doctor because of the intensive technical training required. Everyone involved in welding or the trades industry has a unique knowledge base and is technical in their own way. The welding industry is not the last option for students. With the massive oil sands boom in western Canada, skilled tradespeople are earning some of the highest salaries in the country. In the Municipality of Wood Buffalo (where Fort McMurray, Alberta is located), the July municipal consensus indicated the average household income in the region was $178,000, the highest in the country with 55 per cent of residents indicating they earned more than $180,000 and 25 per cent reporting incomes of more than $250,000, while only 13 per cent reported earnings less than $100,000. Link to article 27/story.html Those financial figures are astonishing, especially when one reflects about the misconceptions surrounding the welding industry. How could one make such a salary if welding was the last option for a student who didn t seem to excel in high school? How could one make such a great living if welding didn t require in-depth technical training? It s quite clear many students, parents and educators don t realize the magnitude of the welding industry and the income potential. In order for the industry to grow, everyone has to be on board to further advocate the pros of this wonderful industry. Many career advancements in welding industry When some people think of welding or any other trades, there tends to be a misconception surrounding career advancement. Some people assume the only title one can achieve is apprentice and once in the trade, promotion, or the ability to move to related career paths is limited. This notion is completely false; in fact, there are several levels to the welding industry. Apprentice is just the beginning. Welders have the abilities to move up the ranks to journeymen, managers, supervisors, inspectors and even obtain degrees and doctorates from universities to become welding engineers specializing in welding. There are several specialized industries that require highly trained welders such as aerospace, sensitive medical devices, electronics and robotics. But it s not only the hands-on welders who are needed to further the industry. As new ideas are envisioned such as sending rovers to Mars, constructing the tallest skyscraper to building the largest aircraft the Antonov 225, or even developing new methods to ensure the longevity of welds and/or invent new and improved ways

5 to weld all of these require a competent individual or a team who have extensive technical training. As a result of the emerging trends and advancements in technology, the welding industry is more than just a welder in a safety mask with a background in stick welding who is an apprentice. The industry has substantially evolved over the years, and so have the tools, technical training required and job opportunities. Debunking the notion that welders are just apprentices is an approach all industry leaders and educators must try and implement on a daily basis. It provides an insular perception towards the industry and deters many from contemplating welding as an actual career. Due to the evolution of the industry, there are so many exciting opportunities for aspiring welders and joiners in this vast industry. Promoting Welding Industry to Females Welding has typically been perceived as a male only industry, and by all figures, it s still a male dominated industry. However, females have always been involved in welding in fact, women welders were major contributors to the allies success in WWII. As males were off fighting, their mothers, sisters and wives were flocking to shipyards and assembly lines as welders, riveters and joiners in a massive war-time effort to construct ships, tanks and any machinery the troops needed overseas. Since then, women have been slowly entering back into the trades for other reasons: mainly the high salaries associated with welding, the ample opportunities of employment and professional development. However, there were discussions during last year s Conference that a lot more can be accomplished in attracting females to the trade. Some of the issues related to bringing more woman into the trade were raised during last year s Conference were a lack of female role models promoting the welding industry, high schools not encouraging females to get involved in welding, and a lack of proactive marketing geared towards enhancing the image of females in the industry. In addition, the issue of intimidation was also raised. Although the industry is mainly dominated by the male gender, one way to increase enrolment and interest from females is working collaboratively with females already established in the industry (ranging from welders, welding engineers, inspectors and supervisors) to become part of this movement and participate as spokespeople to encourage younger females to enter the trade. Another avenue is encouraging females to becoming instructors at post-secondary institutions so they can inspire, provide confidence and become ambassadors to other females. This would assist with diversifying the traditional gender landscape currently in place. Upgrading Current Workforce s Skills, Education

6 In every occupation or industry, improving skills and knowledge is essential as new trends and technologies are continually emerging - and the welding industry is no exception. As standards change or new ones are created and new technological advancements become mainstream, welders are always encouraged to keep up with the latest trends. Although on the surface it appears easy to provide this training as an ongoing activity, sometimes it s not as easy as it looks. During last year s Conference, one main topic of concern was how to further train welders to enhance their job scope, and how this could be done more effectively. Typically, welding shops employ a handful of welders/joiners and fabricators. In order to send an employee off for training, it requires a restructuring of the team s workflow. In most cases, contract deadlines are paramount, and when an employer contemplates the expenditure of the training session, it can seem like it s non-economical with the risk of lost revenue overshadowing a potential gain in productivity or workmanship/weld quality. As a result, complacency may set in, leading to demotivation and or the employee feeling undervalued. Creating cost effective and more easily accessible upgrading practices is something industry and all stakeholders need to consider in the coming years. As the industry becomes more complex in nature and jobs become more technical in scope, re-training and skill upkeep will become important business success factors. Everyone needs to work collectively, not only to promote welding as a great career from the grassroots stages, but also build upon ways to successfully upgrade the qualifications and knowledge base of welders currently applying their trade. Like many other industries, technological advancements are changing the way welding is being completed. In some sub-sectors of the industry, robotics is the mainstay while individuals monitor their work and program their functions. Although this is occurring, welders will always be the backbone of the industry, and in order to have a healthy, knowledgeable workforce, we all need to work collaboratively together to minimize barriers currently impeding the successful growth of the welding industry in Canada. Results From the 2012 Conference Survey 100% surveyed said they found the Conference useful. 35% gave the Conference a top rating of % surveyed said they would recommend the Conference to colleagues. Nearly 91% said the round table discussions were of good value. 86 % said it would be beneficial if there was a uniform welding teaching standard for high schools. 90% said it would be beneficial if there was a uniform welding teaching standard for colleges.

7 86% said it would be beneficial if there was a uniform welding teaching standard for trade unions. 64% surveyed said they teach at a college, 36.4% at a high school, and 27% at a trade union. 96% surveyed said the Canadian Welding Association did a good job at organizing the Conference and 100% said the CWA provides good value to its students, educators and members. Since the early 1920s, the Canadian Welding Association (CWA) has been proactively working with welding professionals and educators throughout Canada, to provide them with educational forums regarding the latest, break-through technologies, while delivering networking opportunities with colleagues within the vast Canadian welding industry. We are delighted to still be around to this day, and be able to advocate on behalf of industry and welding professionals while working together in promoting a sustainable, productive and knowable workforce for future generations. We hope to instill enthusiasm in welding educators while providing inspiration and leadership to further promote an industry that without, our world as we know it would be immensely different.