Sparks of the Future

Let’s get one thing straight: The future isn’t some far-off, Jetsons-style dream full of flying cars and robot maids (though I wouldn’t say no to one that made coffee). It’s already unfolding, and if you’re standing in a welding bay or robotics classroom wondering where the workers went, you’re already feeling the heat. 

This article, based on a presentation Josh Leath and I gave at SkillsUSA (https://www.skillsusa.org/), focuses on how automation, education, workforce, and economic development are no longer separate conversations. They’ve merged into one blinking, beeping, spark-throwing opportunity, especially in welding, though the message applies to all skilled trades that can be force-multiplied through automation.  

Let’s talk about the elephant in the factory: labor, or the lack of availability of it. There are 320,500 new welding professionals projected to be needed in the United States by 2029 (https://weldingworkforcedata.com). Experienced Baby Boomers are retiring. Gen Z? Still in school, maybe making TikToks, and possibly figuring out how to monetize being a brand ambassador. No judgment, just reality. We’ve got fewer people entering the trades and more roles going unfilled. They’re willing to learn, but the system isn’t delivering in a format that works for them. The solution? Train people professionally, consistently, and with tools aligned to the tech shaping our industries.  

Automation Enters the Picture 

Let’s bust a myth: Robots aren’t here to steal jobs, they’re here to amplify them. The Association for Advancing Automation (https://www.automate.org/) recently presented at their annual Business Forum that employment and hires actually trend positively with automation adoption. Especially with large weldments that take hours or days, robotic welding systems can boost throughput while keeping welders focused on setup, quality control, and tricky parts. Let the welders tack, inspect, and direct, then let the robot hose the part down with wire. The 80/20 rule applies: 80% of repetitive or dangerous tasks can be automated. The rest? That’s where people shine in design, creativity, adaptability, and, yes, duct-tape-and-zip-tie-based troubleshooting. Don’t underestimate the value of early STEM exposure. When students see robots in action, not just on TikTok but in labs and classrooms, they connect the dots.  

Robots don’t just weld, they spark futures. So, what does this technology execution look like? At Yaskawa (https://www.yaskawa.com/), we’re running robotic welding systems to fabricate excavator frames. Picture two robots on either side of a 15,000-lb part, tracking seams with precision while people manage setup and tech between cycles. Or imagine large-envelope robotic systems welding like ballet dancers, if the dancer had a 6-m reach and could bench press a car. This is real work happening today, built on coordinated motion, 3D sensing, seam tracking, and a whole lot of human creativity. But none of it happens without the welders who program and use this system to multiply their output. 

STEM Importance 

Yaskawa has been in existence since 1915. With over 600,000 robots installed globally and $180 million going into a new manufacturing facility in Franklin, Wis., we’re not just talking about reshoring, we’re doing it. Our North American headquarters in Miamisburg, Ohio, along with ten other facilities across the Americas, supports a vision: Automation is not a gimmick, it’s a career, and we’re committed to growing talent.  

If you ever played with erector sets, Lincoln Logs, or LEGOs, you were doing STEM before it had a name. Those toys inspired generations, and they still hold the secret to how we learn best. So why aren’t robots commonplace? They’re teachable, programmable, and fun. 

“Train on what you’ll use” is our guiding principle. As examples, pendants make robot programming accessible to students and pros alike, being touchscreen-based, visual, and intuitive, while applications walk users through multipass welding programs step by step. Compact models are ideal for small schools or mobile labs; the carts roll into classrooms with built-in fume extractors and safety features, and hand-guided tools let novices teach weld paths by guiding the robot. 

Automation isn’t just the robot; it’s the system. Tools, including simulators, communication tools, and GitHub-integrated support for industrial languages, extend what’s possible. During the Robotics and Automation Technology competition at SkillsUSA (https://www.skillsusa.org/competition/robotics-and-automation-technology/), students must build a functioning cell using a robot, PLC, sensors, and safety systems. That’s the difference between a demonstration and a career-ready skill; the spark can happen anywhere. 

Real wins happen when local industry teams up with local education to solve local workforce gaps. That’s what’s happening at Sinclair Community College’s (https://www.sinclair.edu/) Integrated Technology Education Center (https://www.sinclair.edu/news/article/sinclair-receives-over-1-1-million-in-senate-approved-funding-for-integrated-technology-education-center/). It’s also what we’re doing with Butler Tech (https://www.butlertech.org/), Honda (https://www.honda.com/), and the Southwest Ohio manufacturing extension partnerships (https://development.ohio.gov/business/manufacturing/ohio-manufacturing-extension-partnership). They’re working blueprints. The future of work isn’t looming, it’s landing, with a weld torch in one hand and a teach pendant in the other. Bridging the skills gap isn’t about choosing between new talent and upskilling the current workforce. It’s both. 

Fabricating the Future 

We’re building pathways, partnerships, and pipelines to a sustainable future in manufacturing. We’re also in it for the long run because it builds a lasting impact, including for our communities and the next generation of makers, welders, and innovators. Let’s build this future together, one spark at a time. 

This article was written by Clint Chapman (senior manager, strategic partner relations) and Josh Leath (senior product manager – thermal) with Yaskawa Motoman Robotics, Miamisburg, Ohio, for the American Welding Society.