AWS Job Fair to help connect welders, employers

The American Welding Society (AWS) has announced that it will host its second national job fair to allow employers to meet one-on-one and possibly recruit from a pool of more than 9,000 welding professionals, a group that has been in short supply. The Job Fair will take place in room C-206 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, at the 2006 FABTECH® International and AWS Welding Show, which will run from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 at the Georgia World Conference Center in Atlanta.

While the Southeast's buzzing auto production market makes it an apt location to begin a welding-related career hunt, the need for qualified welding personnel — these include certified welding inspectors, welding engineers and welding sales associates — has been growing quickly across the nation and in some parts of the world. According to AWS and other industry research, the average age of a welder is in the mid-fifties. Fewer students entering the industry, coupled with the potential retirement of half of the country' s highly trained welding workforce, has led to a shortage of skilled welders and welding-related professionals that could weaken U.S. business and manufacturing.

Participation in the AWS Job Fair is available to AWS Welding Show exhibitors, and to AWS Sustaining and Supporting Company Members. All levels of welding professionals, from students just entering the workforce to veteran welders, are welcome at the AWS Job Fair. Career-seeking participants should dress professionally and bring a resume.

For more information about the AWS Job Fair, please contact Cassie Burrell at 800-443-9353, ext. 253; or Alfred Nieves at ext. 467.