Adelaide, South Australia – Weld Australia has signed an agreement with the Australian Academy of Welding Technology (AAWT) to establish the new, purpose-built Adelaide facility as its primary training facility in South Australia, becoming a foundation partner of the Academy ahead of its opening on 5 October.
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.
“This partnership gives Weld Australia access to a genuinely world-class training environment, right in the heart of the state where demand for skilled welders is acute,” said Ben Mitchell, Director, Strategic Partnerships at Weld Australia.
“South Australia is home to some of the largest Defence and infrastructure projects in the nation’s history. 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. That’s what makes this partnership so valuable, for our members and for the nation.”
Weld Australia also acknowledged the local initiative and investment behind the Academy’s development.
“The AAWT exists because a South Australian business saw the skills challenge coming and backed itself to be part of the solution,” Mitchell said. “We congratulate David Wilton and the W.E.S.S. team on their vision, and on the support they have secured through Defence grant funding to bring this facility to life.”
David Wilton, Managing Director of W.E.S.S., welcomed the partnership. “We are delighted to have an agreement with Weld Australia to utilise our new AAWT, state-of-the-art training facility and together support Australia’s industrial, manufacturing and vocational education sectors,” Wilton said.
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.
