Sparks were literally flying at the TAFE Orange campus this week, where 16 of the region's apprentice welders competed for top dog spots.
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This year's Regional Competition boasted a gamut of contestants from the Central West, where students from were split between fabrication and welding groups; all vying to make the 2023 nationals.
Time-sensitive series of tasks were set over the Tuesday and Wednesday, with TAFE Orange's engineering metal fabrication teacher, Jamie Hurford, saying that the contest was also part of an industry-wide push to get more talent through the doors.
"We're working closely with businesses and trying to get more interest from schools for the trade, because there's a lot of push from parents for their kids to attend university, when not all kids are built for that pathway," Mr Hurford said.
"And I think something that a lot of people don't realise, is that you can go from welding to just about anything - from teaching, to marketing, to automotive - it's an incredibly varied field of trade, and that's what we want to promote."
With such a small set of people entering the welding industry, Mr Hurford also said there's "a lot of poaching" when it comes to figures, which is due to the price ticket the trade has attached to it.
"We're trying to eliminate that, with guys who are just chasing the big dollars, because companies are really big on making sure that they're getting people [who are] loyal to the company, loyalty's a big thing," he said.
"Businesses are becoming more invested in these employees and the skillset they bring, so it's a big ask for their employers to allow them to come and compete this week, but it's also because of that personal investment and to grow the talent that's clearly already here."
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, records show that the number of qualified welders has decreased, with workers in the welding trade falling from 75,800 in 2014, to 69,900 in 2019.
Companies are really big on making sure that they're getting people [who are] loyal to the company, loyalty's a big thing.
- TAFE Orange's engineering metal fabrication teacher, Jamie Hurford on having quality welders in the industry
One of the competition's judges, and a former contestant, Mac Thompson from Mudgee said the belief that "you have to go to university" to be a welder, is a myth.
He also said that the trade, like most, requires sharp thinking and isn't limited in terms of the countless doorways it opens, where qualified welders are also in high-demand at the moment.
"People think you do a specific trade and that's all you can do, but there's so much more to the trade itself, there's so many different career opportunities with welding," Mr Thompson said.
"There's also the troubleshooting or problem-solving thought process involved, so you'll have clients who come to you and rely on your skills alone to be able to work out and fix those issues."
The youngest contestant on the books this year, and a second-year apprentice with Ace Machining in Forbes, 17-year-old Austen Brown said that while he "wouldn't mind the win", he was also there to boost his overall trade experience.
"It's different to being in the workplace, because you get to compare your skills against other people across the region, who are on somewhat similar levels," Mr Brown said.
"So, it's good to get an idea of where you're at with your own work, and I'm early in my apprenticeship so I'll get to have another crack at this in a couple of years again."
The Regional Competition is held on a two-yearly basis, with the National Competition held during the in-between year.
Two winners from the Macquarie region in fabrication and welding, will be announced later in the week, where they'll then get to head to nationals in Melbourne in 2023.
Winners from national then get to compete for a spot in the big international comp, which will be held in 2024 in France.
"It's a big thing for them and they've been quite under the pump the last couple of days," Mr Hurford said.
The pressure's definitely been on for them, but they've been doing an incredible job.
- TAFE Orange engineering metal fabrication teacher, Jamie Hurford
"The judging is all done by the last three numbers on their student ID to eliminate any bias, so the pressure's definitely been on for them, but they've been doing an incredible job."
Picking up silver at the Perth nationals in 2014, Orange welder and TAFE teacher, Nathan Kelly is also one of the contest's judges this year.
It'll be a tough call to make later this week, though, given the range of young talent floating about the place.
At the TAFE Orange campus, its welding workshop has also been newly decked out with some of the industry's latest machinery, which arrived during the peak of the pandemic.
This now gives emerging welders, even greater opportunities for their skills to transpire.
For more information on welding courses, head to the TAFE NSW website or phone 131 601.
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