Warwick Johnston is a sheetmetal teacher at Granville TAFE. We chat to some of the students in the course of Fabrication and their motivations for taking the course. We find out about the benefits f the training, or why students are retraining from other industries.

About Sheet Metal Fabrication:

Employment prospects are anticipated to be excellent for sheet metal workers who work in construction or sheet metal manufacturing for construction purposes. Prospects will be especially good for people who have completed apprenticeships, since apprenticeships provide such thorough training. There will be fewer job openings for sheet metal workers in manufacturing areas.

Most new jobs will be created as there are increasing amounts of construction generally. Growing populations and economies will lead to higher demand for the work of sheet metal workers in houses, offices, factories, and other buildings. This new construction requires new climate control systems, ventilation, and other things that require sheet metal. HVAC technicians will also be in high demand in remolding work in older buildings.

Also, more jobs will be created as more people appreciate the aesthetic qualities of sheet metal. Interior designers are using sheet metal in new, decorative ways. However, fewer positions for sheet metal workers will be available in the manufacturing industry. As with most construction occupations, employment was be unstable. Most projects are short-term and fluctuate with the economy.

However, this instability is tempered by the fact that maintenance and repair work is called for even when there is little new construction. Also many people want sheet metal workers to install more modern HVAC systems, even during recessions, to make their homes, offices, or other structures more energy- and cost-efficient. Sheet metal workers also have more stable employment than other construction professionals as they lose less work to inclement weather since they do most of their work inside buildings.