National shortage of skilled welders should be a wake-up call, says Yorkshire boss
Figures confirming a shortage of skilled welders in the UK should be a wake-up call for industry and government, a Yorkshire business leader has said.
The Migration Advisory Committee, in its July 2026 review for the Government, found that the quantitative evidence for welding trades showed a shortage, with earnings and job-advertising data generally above wider UK trends. The MAC classified Welding Trades as a “stronger case” for temporary shortage treatment and recommended 18-month access to the Temporary Shortage List.
Chris Houston, Managing Director of Tadweld, a Tadcaster steel fabrication company, said: “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.
“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.
“Welding is one of those skills that can easily be overlooked until you need it. But whether we're talking about structural steel, energy infrastructure, defence, marine engineering, construction or advanced manufacturing, somebody has to have the skills to actually fabricate and join those components.
“You can have the investment, the designs and the technology, but without skilled people on the shop floor, those projects cannot become reality.”