Shortage of Skilled Welders Raises Concerns for UK Manufacturing

A shortage of skilled welders has been confirmed in a UK Government assessment, raising concerns about whether the country has enough qualified workers to support future investment in manufacturing, defence, infrastructure and clean energy.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), in its July 2026 review, identified welding trades as experiencing a shortage of domestic workers and classified the occupation as one of the stronger cases for inclusion on the Government’s new Temporary Shortage List.

The committee recommended that welding trades should receive 18 months of access to the list, which is intended to provide a temporary immigration route for occupations facing recognised labour shortages.

The findings have prompted calls for greater investment in training and recruitment, with Chris Houston, Managing Director of steel fabrication company Tadweld, warning that the shortage could become a significant constraint on industrial growth.

“The welding trade has been the backbone of British industry for generations, and we now have Government confirmation that there is a genuine shortage of skilled people in the profession,” he said.

“This is no longer simply an industry warning. The evidence is there. We have a shortage of welders at a time when the UK is simultaneously trying to expand manufacturing, strengthen defence, deliver new infrastructure and accelerate the transition to clean energy.”

The MAC’s assessment found that quantitative evidence pointed to a shortage in welding trades, with earnings and job-advertising indicators generally above wider UK trends.

The findings are reinforced by separate analysis from Skills England, which identifies welding as a priority occupation across three sectors within advanced manufacturing.

Its 2026 assessment found that 71% of advanced manufacturing’s priority occupations were experiencing either critical or elevated demand.

Skills England and the Department for Business and Trade estimate that priority occupations across advanced manufacturing will require approximately 47,000 additional workers between 2025 and 2035, alongside a further 101,000 workers to replace those leaving the workforce.

That represents a combined requirement of around 148,000 workers across the identified occupations over the decade, rather than welding trades alone.

For manufacturers, the availability of skilled welders is particularly important because the profession supports activities ranging from structural steel fabrication and construction to aerospace, defence, marine engineering and energy infrastructure.

“Welding is one of those skills that can easily be overlooked until you need it,” Mr Houston said.

“You can have the investment, the designs and the technology, but without skilled people on the shop floor, those projects cannot become reality.”

The demand for welding expertise is also evolving as manufacturers adopt more advanced production processes and invest in mechanisation and automation.

In March 2026, Skills England approved a publicly funded Level 2 Welding (mechanised) apprenticeship unit designed to help employers develop the capabilities of existing welders.

The unit requires a minimum of 90 hours of training and covers specialist processes including submerged arc welding, mechanised MIG and MAG, flux-cored arc welding, orbital TIG and plasma arc welding.

While the additional training provision could help employers respond to changing technical requirements, Mr Houston believes expanding the pipeline of new entrants is equally important.

“Upskilling the existing workforce is important, but it cannot be the whole solution. We need to bring new people into welding and show them what the profession looks like today,” he said.

“Modern welding is clean, precise and technologically advanced. Welders are working with sophisticated equipment, mechanisation and automation, and they need technical knowledge, judgement and problem-solving skills.

“Technology isn’t making the welder obsolete. It is changing what a modern welder needs to know.”

He also wants greater efforts to promote welding careers among school pupils, women and people considering a change of profession.

“We need to make sure welding is seen as a career for everyone. That means reaching young people before they make their career choices, encouraging more women into the profession and making the industry accessible to people looking for a career change.”

For Welsh manufacturers and engineering businesses, the findings highlight the importance of developing a skilled workforce capable of supporting both established industrial operations and emerging investment opportunities.

Tadweld is among the businesses supporting apprenticeship and training initiatives aimed at developing the next generation of skilled workers.

Mr Houston believes a stronger relationship between employers, education providers and government will be essential to ensuring that recruitment and training can keep pace with industrial demand.

“The question isn’t whether we will need welders. The Government’s own evidence makes clear that we already do. The question is whether we can train enough people quickly enough.”