It has been reported by the Office of National Statistics that over the last five years almost a quarter of registered welders who are certified have left the industry. The actual number is believed to be around 18000 which only leaves 58000 registered and certified welders in the UK.
The demand for welders is rising and due to the decreasing numbers of the welders in the UK there is now a 25 per cent gap. The changes in our lifestyles and the requirement for a greener, more sustainable living along with the plans to make the UK self-sufficient for energy from 2020 adds to the requirement for welders. For that project alone 20,000 welders trained welders will be required which creates a big shortfall in the number of available welders.
The shortfall will only be eliminated if 50,000 people start welder training at level 1 and 2 within the next 3-5 years. The shortfall in the numbers has been addressed by the UK’s Weldability-Sif Foundation. The foundation has entered into a partnership with EAL and the Welding Institute to increase the welder training courses around the country.
http://www.westermans.com/blog/the-move-towards-green-living-has-created-a-gap-in-the-welding-industry/

The Move Towards a More Green Living Has Created A Gap in the Welding Industry – An infographic by the team at Westermans