According to Cajun Seeger, a welding instructor in Lithua Springs, Georgia, welding is a career that can survive the hard times, if workers are willing to travel.
"I would say about 30 percent of the membership [in the Plumbers, Pipefitters and Service Technicians union] has traveled to seek employment," Seeger told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I think we are less vulnerable because we network with one another, because we have a central database and we can travel."
Seeger, who has been a welder since 1987, sees it as a smart career choice for anyone interested in the skilled trades. He says that the pay is good, with union scale ranking it at about $28.90 an hour, with an additional $12.91 an hour in benefits, insurance and pension.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that those who have attended welding training programs rarely have trouble finding work, and that some welding employers have difficulty filling welding positions.
On Friday the BLS reported that the unemployment rate in the U.S. jumped up to a sixteen-year-high of 10.2 percent in October. With that in mind, a career in welding could offer workers the skills that they need for a secure future.
"There will be more demand for certified highly skilled welders," says Seeger.
