The Boys Scouts of America introduces a new way to prepare their Scouts to be even more marketable candidates when they are ready to enter the job market. Oftentimes an overlooked occupation, but certainly one that has a growing need for skilled workers, welding is the newest task Scouts can earn a merit badge in.
Working in partnership with the American Welding Society (AWS), the Boy Scouts of America is teaching Scouts to take active part in this occupation. It is said to be a career that will be in great demand for workers in 2019. According to the AWS, there will be a large retiring population within the field at that time, and a need to fill over 140,000 of these positions only a few years from now.
The Boys Scouts of America hopes to demonstrate that welding is a multi-facetted job that can entail work from steel production to natural gas drilling.
Sam Gentry, Executive Director of the American Welding Society states, "The Scouts start realizing that welding could lead to a viable career. It's not just something to fix a fence."
According to the AWS, out of the 450,000 welders working in the United States, less that 20 percent of them are younger than 35 years old. The average age of American welders is 55.
The Boy Scouts of America aims to show Scouts that they can master in a trade and still be competitive candidates in the job market. Trained welders typically have a starting salary of $45,000 per year. Those who have degrees in the field typically start off with a salary of $100,000 per year.
To encourage new talent in the field, Scouts are awarded badges for their training. The first Scouts to receive welding merit badges were awarded this past march.
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