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Fabricator Takes on the Welder Shortage

By Jennifer Dallos on on September 3, 2015

How one company’s vision is helping welders upgrade their skills at no cost By Melissa Gomez Reprinted with permission: The AWS Welding Journal The welding industry is facing a workforce crisis. We all know that welders are critical components in a range of industries, from shipbuilding, to metal fabrication, to machine manufacturing, but in the next few years, much of the workforce will be retiring, leaving a big demand for welders — especially experienced welders. Many recent welding school graduates only have entry-level trade skills, and with a growing need for advanced workers with experience and certifications, the industry faces a growing skills gap. Although there are many applicants looking for work, employers are not finding welders with the right specializations to perform the skills needed on job sites. Can the skills gap be successfully bridged? One company says it can. Fluor Corp., Houston, Tex., is an engineering and construction firm that has started up a preemployment welder upgrade training program. The best part — it’s absolutely free for those accepted.

Fluor is offering two free welder upgrade training programs — one for possible future employees and one for current employees.

Fluor Sees an Opportunity In 2013, Fluor’s CEO decided to get back into direct hire of craftspeople. That year, the company had only 3500 craftspeople. In the 1980s that number was about 40,000. Currently, the company has 8000 craft workers, and the number is increasing. However, when looking to hire, the company noticed that no one was upgrading skill sets of welders, and most community colleges weren’t set up to provide the type of welding it needed. The company did not see this as a problem, but rather as an opportunity. Fluor began operating its own training site, which was aimed at rebuilding the welder workforce. The company decided to set up 20 welding booths and later built two 53-ft-long air-conditioned welding trailers with ten booths in each, to offer welder upgrade training at no cost to those admitted. The booths feature fume extraction equipment, compressed air, inverter power sources, and a gas manifold system. They also have gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and flux core equipment for when a project requires it. The company started the program in Spring 2013 and has since run about three training sessions a year. “We’re going to build the workforce of the future that doesn’t exist today. You can make a very good career [with specialized welding skills], and there’s a lot to be done,” said Jim Hanna, group human resources executive, construction fabrication and craft services, Fluor. The training, which originally lasted only 8 weeks, now runs from 12 to 16 weeks. All that is required of applicants is to pass a drug test and structural welding test, because this training is not for beginners. The test is in 3G vertical and 4G overhead positions, 6010 electrode for root and hot pass, 7018 to weld the filler and cover passes, on a 3⁄8-in. plate. Of those recruited, 23–30% pass the test; further evidence that many inexperienced welders require further training. After one week, if someone can’t pass the test, they are dropped from the program, but can reenter if they get more training elsewhere. It is estimated that the training, which uses the National Center for Construction Education and Research curriculum, is valued between $19,000 and $25,000. It is a $4 to $5 million corporate investment. However, as previously mentioned, Fluor provides it for free, and does not require anyone to work for the company after completion. There is also no guarantee of a job with Fluor at the end of the program; however, Hanna emphasized that Fluor hopes to hire as many of the trainees as it can. Most of the recruiting has been done by word of mouth, on the Fluor website, and through social media. Sometimes Fluor representatives will visit high schools, or talk to counselors and parents. “We went to the school I taught at before coming to Fluor,” said Derek Cooper, talent development supervisor. “I taught high school for seven years and community college for eleven years. We wish we had this opportunity when we started.” Free welding training sells itself, which is demonstrated by the fact Fluor receives between five and six applications a day, sometimes from as far as Alaska and Wisconsin. Currently, they have nearly 700 people waitlisted. The application is available on Fluor’s website. On average, trainees have been between 20 and 30 years old. Since the training is four days a week, ten hours a day, or 40 hours a week, students will usually work the other three days of the week for income. It’s a lot of effort, but the reward is well worth the sacrifice according to those in the program (see sidebar). The training is conducted by Cooper and by Merced Arroyo, talent development specialist III. There are currently 20 welders enrolled in the program, three of which are women. They receive training to become combination pipe welders, and should be able to weld pipes in the 5G position in uphill progression, since 95% of pipes at the job sites are 5G. They learn 2G also, and later, the 6G position with the pipe at a 45-deg angle. Trainees take two tests — gas tungsten arc (GTA) and shielded metal arc (SMA) welding. The coupon for tests is 0.688-in. wall thickness, 2¾-in.-diameter pipe. If they pass X-ray, they can be hired for a Fluor project. “We want them to get familiar with what they will do on the job site,” said Cooper. “In order to get into industry, you usually need three to five years’ experience. Here, they can come in as a structural welder, get training, and then go to work as a combination pipe welder.” But it’s not just practical skills that Fluor instructors help trainees with, they also try to instill the right attitude to have on the job. “It’s not just a job, it’s a career. What Fluor is giving you is a scholarship. We try to let trainees know not to take that for granted,” said Arroyo. “Work ethic and dedication is the difference between being a good welder and a great welder. We let them know we actually care, actually want them to pass. We act as counselors,” added Cooper. After training is completed, Fluor tries to hire them as combination pipe welders if a big project is available, and if not the company will place them on outages. Fluor also has another training program operating in Baytown, Tex. Once again, the training is free. In this program, Fluor employees working at a nearby project site come in after their day job to work on acquiring additional welding skills, particularly for pipe tests and flux core welding. At present, they have seven students attending, but with 18 booths they can accommodate up to 36. Furthermore, plans for expansion are underway. Those in the program, which is first-come, first-served, come in for two hours on Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays, after working a 6:00 am to 4:30 pm shift. If they are dedicated and continue with the class, and take the tests, they can be hired as combination welders. Presently, most are utility workers or helpers. The teaching site has been open about four months and will be open until the end of the project, which is expected to take a couple of years. Fluor employees are made aware of the available free training at company meetings. There, they have the opportunity to sign up. Not only are there many benefits to enrolling, but it is much more convenient and less time consuming to take training at the job site than to drive to another location, such as a college, after getting out of a long day of work. As retirement-age welders leave the workforce, employers are having a hard time finding employees to replace them. Many who graduate from welding-education programs have basic skills, but not the skills necessary to go straight to work, and therefore, are finding it hard to get hired straight out of school. Fluor has created an opportunity for those wanting to advance. It has preemployment welder upgrade training for potential new employees, welder upgrade training for existing employees, both at no cost, and it will soon be opening a regional training center for fitters, electricians, welders, etc. Hanna believes Fluor is setting an example for companies everywhere on how to help bridge the welding industry skills gap. The company understands that to turn things around and eliminate the shortage of skilled workers, it is going to take owners, contractors, and schools — everyone will have to be involved.

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