From the oil and gas industries to high technology, automotive and even wrought iron fencing, companies ranging from Fortune 1000s to small family-owned businesses are struggling to find employees with the right talent, skills and work ethic to fill their welding positions.
On the Gulf Coast, the need for welders is so high, in fact, that Peter Huntsman, chief executive officer of chemical maker Huntsman Corp. told Bloomberg BusinessWeek that if every citizen between ages 5 and 85 in in the St. Charles Bay area of Texas were trained in welding, it still wouldn’t be enough.
If your company is having difficulty finding welders or other skilled laborers, or has a high turnover rate for these types of positions, there are several ways to find the right workers, improve employee retention and reduce training costs.
1. Partner with local schools to tailor their welding programs. Hundreds of high school and higher ed institutions are launching welding programs to meet the growing need. By partnering with area schools, you can tailor their welding programs to fit your specific sector and product line. This will shorten the on-the-job learning curve, reduce your training costs and allow you to personally pick the best candidates for your positions.
2. Offer a work-study program. Real-world experience provides a richer learning environment than class/shop work alone. DIS-TRAN Steel, for example, which builds utility substation structures, is working with the Louisiana Technical Community College to create a work-study program where students study welding and then work at the firm on a part-time basis.
3. Be a known face in the community. Spearhead your HR team’s educational training efforts by meeting with school and community leaders to show that your commitment is a top-down approach. Personally work with institutions to ensure they have the equipment and materials they need to provide your firm with the best workers.
4. Start communicating early. Consultant Mark Oster, with audit and tax advisory firm GrantThornton, says that cultivating college seniors is too late. Ensure that your marketing team is launching the student relationship in the freshman year.
5. Offer tuition reimbursement and other incentives. Consider all the ways you can be more competitive than other companies in your area. For instance, high school students who are accepted for employment at DIS-TRAN get their tuition reimbursed after working at the company for a designated length of time.
6. Have a long-term vision for your welders’ future with the company. Perhaps your HR exec has hired the requisite number of welders needed and placed them in the care of their supervisors. But the job of molding and keeping great employees doesn’t end there. Ensure that your welders and other skilled laborers are being continually trained on new technology and manufacturing methods.
Additional reading:
7 Ways to Nurture Graduate Outcomes
The future of the oil business is in the hands of welders
Labor Shortage Threatens to Bust the Shale Boom
DIS-TRAN, CLTCC work together to resolve welder shortage
Chief Executive Group exists to improve the performance of U.S. CEOs, senior executives and public-company directors, helping you grow your companies, build your communities and strengthen society. Learn more at chiefexecutivegroup.com.
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Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
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Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
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General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
