Struggling to Find Skilled Welders in Devon
Discussion
BGARK said:
Op is busy, I do wonder how some of you have the time to be here all the time, perhaps why you are all complaining in the jobs section?
I'm not the one complaining I can't fill vacancies.Also, I've made four posts on this thread.
How many have you made?
Edited by Super Sonic on Monday 23 October 19:15
Some of us retired because there are too many employers like the OP around.
My boss asked me to stay on longer but balked at my price to do so. His face was a picture when I told him I was retiring because they didn’t pay me enough so why would I stay longer for not enough - they think they are doing their employees a favour by providing work.
The department I left has had 133% staff turnover in the last 18 months, it takes 3-6 months learning to be productive.
My boss asked me to stay on longer but balked at my price to do so. His face was a picture when I told him I was retiring because they didn’t pay me enough so why would I stay longer for not enough - they think they are doing their employees a favour by providing work.
The department I left has had 133% staff turnover in the last 18 months, it takes 3-6 months learning to be productive.
£30k to £40k depending on total of associated benefits, such as pension, perf pay etc... also if you are seriously offering a stable employment opportunity and career, what are the opportunities beyond being a skilled welder, in your company, or is that it? They will be a skilled worker for the rest of their days?
Another question why are you quoting hrly rates? Is the work that volatile that overtime is a big factor and or the contract is casual in nature, or is it shift based?
Lastly do you have an apprenticeship programme? if you are long term business growing organically, it is always cheaper and better business to grow local talent than buy it in.
Another question why are you quoting hrly rates? Is the work that volatile that overtime is a big factor and or the contract is casual in nature, or is it shift based?
Lastly do you have an apprenticeship programme? if you are long term business growing organically, it is always cheaper and better business to grow local talent than buy it in.
https://www.totaljobs.com/job/contractor/insiderig...
https://www.totaljobs.com/job/mig-welder/nexus-res...
£30/hr in Wolverhampton is much more attractive than £13.
Save the splashing in the water on a plastic board for time off; no time for the sandpit either when on a job!
https://www.totaljobs.com/job/mig-welder/nexus-res...
£30/hr in Wolverhampton is much more attractive than £13.
Save the splashing in the water on a plastic board for time off; no time for the sandpit either when on a job!
GordonGekko said:
https://www.totaljobs.com/job/contractor/insiderig...
https://www.totaljobs.com/job/mig-welder/nexus-res...
£30/hr in Wolverhampton is much more attractive than £13.
Save the splashing in the water on a plastic board for time off; no time for the sandpit either when on a job!
£30 per hour as a contractor. https://www.totaljobs.com/job/mig-welder/nexus-res...
£30/hr in Wolverhampton is much more attractive than £13.
Save the splashing in the water on a plastic board for time off; no time for the sandpit either when on a job!
Random find,
Welder / Fabricator (MIG)
£32,000 - £40,000 + Technical Development + Optional Overtime + Van + Tools + 32 days Holiday
Quarry Based, Commutable from St Austell/Plymouth
Are you a MIG or MMA Welder looking for a days based opportunity within a rapidly growing specialist where you will receive further training to progress your level of expertise, combined with optional overtime to boost your earnings all whilst having a great work life balance with no nights or weekends required?
This is a great opportunity to join a close knit team where you will be recognised for the expertise you have, all whilst being further developed and increasing your earnings through premium paid optional overtime and working towards becoming a skilled go-to welder within the highly respected team.
A fantastic opportunity to work for a company going from strength to strength and are looking to expand their skilled team.
This role would suit a welder or fabricator with MIG or MMA experience looking for further training, and optional overtime
The role:
Monday - Friday 7am - 4pm
Repair of heavy duty quarrying equipment such as excavators and bulldozers.
Overtime and training provided
The person:
MIG or MMA Experience
Looking for a days based position
Looking to increase their earnings through optional overtime
Admittedly that's a grubby on-site role, but they're looking for billy-basic MIG or Stick, and have a far better salary plus assorted benefits, "great work\life balance", "close knit team", etc.
As said above already - the OP is only attracting dregs to their role because decent staff can get more, more easily, elsewhere.
Welder / Fabricator (MIG)
£32,000 - £40,000 + Technical Development + Optional Overtime + Van + Tools + 32 days Holiday
Quarry Based, Commutable from St Austell/Plymouth
Are you a MIG or MMA Welder looking for a days based opportunity within a rapidly growing specialist where you will receive further training to progress your level of expertise, combined with optional overtime to boost your earnings all whilst having a great work life balance with no nights or weekends required?
This is a great opportunity to join a close knit team where you will be recognised for the expertise you have, all whilst being further developed and increasing your earnings through premium paid optional overtime and working towards becoming a skilled go-to welder within the highly respected team.
A fantastic opportunity to work for a company going from strength to strength and are looking to expand their skilled team.
This role would suit a welder or fabricator with MIG or MMA experience looking for further training, and optional overtime
The role:
Monday - Friday 7am - 4pm
Repair of heavy duty quarrying equipment such as excavators and bulldozers.
Overtime and training provided
The person:
MIG or MMA Experience
Looking for a days based position
Looking to increase their earnings through optional overtime
Admittedly that's a grubby on-site role, but they're looking for billy-basic MIG or Stick, and have a far better salary plus assorted benefits, "great work\life balance", "close knit team", etc.
As said above already - the OP is only attracting dregs to their role because decent staff can get more, more easily, elsewhere.
BGARK said:
I appreciate the dialogue surrounding the starting wage at our company. Compensation is a complex issue, and I'd like to take this opportunity to clarify our stance and philosophy.
Firstly, our starting wage is just that—a starting point. We designed it to be a platform for those who are willing to learn, show a positive attitude, and grow with us. Our approach to compensation is flexible, rewarding those who add exceptional value to our operations.
It's also worth noting that we are not solely a welding company. We operate CNC machining centres and engage in various other engineering processes. We are in the business of continually adapting and re-inventing ourselves, designing new products and finding innovative solutions to complex challenges.
In fact, our export business is growing. This is a positive story. We are on a journey to create a company that not only thrives in today's market but sets the standard for future manufacturing environments. The future may look different—it might involve fewer people earning higher wages and working alongside cobots or automated welding stations, for example—but it's a future we're excited about.
As for expertise, we welcome anyone who believes they can bring something extraordinary to the table. If you think you understand the bigger picture and can contribute to our collective goals, then please, send me a business proposal and name your wage requirements. Perhaps you deserve that extra compensation; who knows?
For some personal context, I started this business in a shed with my dad 20 years ago. I come from a council house in a s
tty part of the UK. We moved across the country, and 12 people took that leap of faith with us. They didn't do this solely for the wages. There's more to life. We have a strong, happy community here, and our team enjoys a clean, safe work environment. And we've also built a great zombie apocalypse team!
That all sounds great for you and the other shareholders. Your business is a hugely personal thing for you, and rightly so. But the reality is, people work for a wage, because bills need paying, food needs to be put on the table and life needs living. Respectfully, saying "there's more to life" makes us think you're not listening to what people are saying and it is making you come across a little delusional. That load of hyperbole posted above is not going to reflect the feelings towards the company of someone earning £15/hour or whatever you're paying them.Firstly, our starting wage is just that—a starting point. We designed it to be a platform for those who are willing to learn, show a positive attitude, and grow with us. Our approach to compensation is flexible, rewarding those who add exceptional value to our operations.
It's also worth noting that we are not solely a welding company. We operate CNC machining centres and engage in various other engineering processes. We are in the business of continually adapting and re-inventing ourselves, designing new products and finding innovative solutions to complex challenges.
In fact, our export business is growing. This is a positive story. We are on a journey to create a company that not only thrives in today's market but sets the standard for future manufacturing environments. The future may look different—it might involve fewer people earning higher wages and working alongside cobots or automated welding stations, for example—but it's a future we're excited about.
As for expertise, we welcome anyone who believes they can bring something extraordinary to the table. If you think you understand the bigger picture and can contribute to our collective goals, then please, send me a business proposal and name your wage requirements. Perhaps you deserve that extra compensation; who knows?
For some personal context, I started this business in a shed with my dad 20 years ago. I come from a council house in a s
tty part of the UK. We moved across the country, and 12 people took that leap of faith with us. They didn't do this solely for the wages. There's more to life. We have a strong, happy community here, and our team enjoys a clean, safe work environment. And we've also built a great zombie apocalypse team!If you want to take people with you on a lifelong career, then why not put your money where your mouth is? Let them be a part of it. People treat a rental property a hell of a lot differently to the home that they own.
Easternlight said:
bks.
I'm an engineer and I use a five axis CNC lathe.
We can't recruit people either and the problem is demonstrated by Gordon gecko, nobody wants to get their hands dirty, everyone thinks the world is run on computers and phones, nobody thinks about how they get made!
So much this. ks.I'm an engineer and I use a five axis CNC lathe.
We can't recruit people either and the problem is demonstrated by Gordon gecko, nobody wants to get their hands dirty, everyone thinks the world is run on computers and phones, nobody thinks about how they get made!
I buggered off to the other side of the Caribbean, and have more than doubled my U.K salary in the space of 10 months. The company I’m with now value their staff, have excellent career progression ( now I’m considering coming off the tools), more than happy to send you off the U.S for upskilling and lastly, the apprentice's out here actually want to learn from us old folks. The fact of the matter is, companies in the U.K just do not value technical jobs highly enough. I still regularly get emails from recruiters that are offering £4xk p/a + O/T etc.
If you actually want to make money, personally you’re better off leaving and working abroad for a while. The U.S is crying out for blue collar trades, if you can put up with the bat s
t craziness you’ll clean up. The two main manufacturers have even taken to YouTube to try and recruit. 
Easternlight said:
bks.
I'm an engineer and I use a five axis CNC lathe.
We can't recruit people either and the problem is demonstrated by Gordon gecko, nobody wants to get their hands dirty, everyone thinks the world is run on computers and phones, nobody thinks about how they get made!
I'm interested to know why computers turned up as both a positive (it's the first "C" in "CNC lathe") as well as a negative "everyone thinks the world is run on computers".ks.I'm an engineer and I use a five axis CNC lathe.
We can't recruit people either and the problem is demonstrated by Gordon gecko, nobody wants to get their hands dirty, everyone thinks the world is run on computers and phones, nobody thinks about how they get made!
I'm old. In my schooldays I had access to a CNC lathe, along with various braising/welding (MIG) options and various other surprisingly industrial tools. We had bridgeport lathes too (tbf it was a cracking technical department). I love working with my hands and making stuff.
Even then (1980s) I was doing electronic interface control systems for stuff into pneumatics, and went later to college/uni computing, making a fortune doing so as an employee pretty much the whole time (less money, but more sick pay, holidays, security, pension etc etc).
At the moment, computers do run the world, really. They aren't "old world" engineering but they matter at least as much, and if you were to compare the job op's looking to fill at £13/h or whatever with a different job elsewhere as a starter computer bod it'd fare badly initially -- and catastrophically in the long-run from a career and lifelong quality of job point of view.
Op's view that AI is going to replace people in the next two years in his sort of welding is bunk.
AI doesn't change the automation requirements much; a robot is either flexible enough to do the job or it's not -- if it is, it's flexible enough to do the job without AI.
All AI can do to help is with setup -- anything half-decent will be closed-loop as it goes and will have tooling to NDT its own work afterwards while record-keeping everything.
Sorry for the AI rant, it's a buzzword b
ks thing that people who are playing with GPT4 and grok have been spreading about. It's not actually all that useful.swanny71 said:
As someone else said - bks!
I guess you’re one of those shiny arse “engineers” who wouldn’t know how to hold a spanner let alone use one…
If you're the one turning a spanner you're categorically a technician/fitter, not an engineer- and that isn't a bad thing.ks!I guess you’re one of those shiny arse “engineers” who wouldn’t know how to hold a spanner let alone use one…
If you're on the tools all day, you're as much an engineer as a nurse wiping patients' arses all day is a doctor!
BGARK said:
Driver101 said:
The OP has ducked out of the questions on this thread.
What's the question, I will try to respond.What conditions and living quarters do employees have living on site?
Why has this happened?
How are they going to afford a place of their own on £13 per hour?
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