A new, purpose-built training facility, the Australian Academy of Welding Technology (AAWT), will officially open in Adelaide, South Australia, next month.
In the lead up to the opening Weld Australia has signed an agreement with AAWT to become a foundation partner of the academy.
Developed by Global Welding Technologies Group Pty Ltd (W.E.S.S.) and supported by Defence grant funding, the AAWT is a state-of-the-art, hire-based training facility featuring fully equipped welding bays, the latest Industry 4.0 welding technology, digital monitoring and traceability systems, premium fume extraction and a modern classroom for up to 20 students.
The partnership significantly expands Weld Australia's training footprint in South Australia at a critical time.
Australia faces a projected shortfall of tens of thousands of skilled welders over the coming decade, with demand intensifying as major defence and infrastructure programs ramp up, including the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine program at Osborne, the Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Project, Northern Water and a pipeline of other nationally significant projects.
Weld Australia director of strategic partnerships, Ben Mitchell, said the partnership gives the organisation access to a world-class training environment, right in the heart of the state where demand for skilled welders is acute.
“South Australia is home to some of the largest Defence and infrastructure projects in the nation's history,” Mitchell said.
“Between AUKUS, T2D and Northern Water, the state will need thousands of additional qualified welders, and they need to be trained to exacting international standards.
“The AAWT gives us the modern equipment, technology and infrastructure to deliver high-quality, industry-relevant training at scale, without compromise.”
Mitchell said the agreement reflected Weld Australia's commitment to practical, industry-led solutions to the national skills shortage.
“You cannot train a welder for the technologies of tomorrow on the equipment of yesterday. The investment W.E.S.S. has made in this facility, from advanced waveform-controlled welding machines to digital monitoring and traceability systems, means trainees will work with exactly the kind of technology they'll encounter on defence and major infrastructure projects," he said.
"That's what makes this partnership so valuable, for our members and for the nation.”
W.E.S.S. managing director, David Wilton, said the partnership will help support Australia's industrial, manufacturing and vocational education sectors.
Weld Australia will begin delivering training programs at the AAWT from October 2026, with its training schedule to be progressively expanded in line with industry demand.