Creating a Grey Collar Culture in the Welding World
This post was inspired by a conversation I had last week on social media with Adam Streich, an instructor in Tennessee who is teaching his students about the importance of grey collar. Adam is helping the next generation of welders see that the future of the trades isn’t just about working with your hands or sitting behind a desk—it’s about combining both. That idea is at the heart of what WeldLytics stands for.
For decades, the welding industry has lived in two worlds. On one side, the blue collar tradespeople—welders, fitters, and fabricators—who bring projects to life with their hands and skill. On the other, the white collar professionals—engineers, inspectors, and managers—who drive standards, compliance, and documentation.
Too often, these worlds collide instead of connect. The shop floor feels that the office doesn’t understand production realities. The office feels that the shop resists oversight. But the future of welding depends on something new: a grey collar culture—a culture where hands-on skill and technical knowledge meet, and where weld quality isn’t owned by one group, but shared across the whole team.
What Does Grey Collar Mean in Welding?
A grey collar worker blends the best of both sides. They may not have a four-year engineering degree, but they hold specialized training, certifications, and technical knowledge. They can strike an arc and explain why amperage or joint prep matters. They can read a code book and communicate with welders on the shop floor.
Examples of grey collar roles include:
Inspectors and supervisors with industry certifications
CAD drafters with welding experience
Welders cross-trained in metallurgy, QA/QC, or NDT
Technical leads who bridge production and engineering without a formal engineering title
In short: grey collar means you can wear both hats when needed.
Why Welding Needs a Grey Collar Culture
The industry faces two major challenges:
A shrinking skilled trades pipeline – Fewer young welders are entering the field, while seasoned experts retire. Without a bridge of knowledge, the gap widens.
Increasing technical and compliance demands – Clients, codes, and regulators require stricter oversight, more documentation, and higher quality standards than ever before.
Grey collar is a very niche group today, but it’s the key to solving both of these challenges. As the workforce shifts, the trades will depend more and more on people who can weld, inspect, document, and lead—all in one role. The future of welding belongs to this hybrid professional.
When welders, inspectors, and engineers work as teammates instead of adversaries, quality isn’t just achievable—it’s sustainable. And that’s only possible through a grey collar culture.
How to Build a Grey Collar Culture
1. Invest in Training Beyond the Basics
Don’t stop at teaching welders how to pass a test. Teach them metallurgy, distortion control, and code philosophy. At the same time, train inspectors and engineers in the physical realities of welding—fit-up struggles, joint access, and ergonomic limits (i.e. have you ever tried making a 12” MIG fillet weld in a 1 1/2” opening?). Cross-training builds respect.
2. Use Tools That Speak Both Languages
Grey collar culture thrives on shared references. Tools eliminate arguments by giving welders and inspectors the same measurable standards. A number everyone can see beats an opinion no one can agree on.
3. Promote Collaboration, Not Silos
Bring welders, inspectors, and engineers into the same room early. Grey collar culture means shared ownership of the process, not finger-pointing after the fact.
4. Respect Certification as Much as Degrees
Industry-recognized credentials—whether in inspection, supervision, nondestructive testing, drafting, or safety—represent years of technical knowledge and proven ability. These certifications demonstrate applied expertise that is every bit as valuable as a four-year engineering degree in shaping weld quality. Welding doesn’t just need diplomas—it needs verifiable, hands-on competence.
5. Lead with Grey Collar Examples
Highlight the people who model this culture: the welder who designs fixtures, the inspector who mentors, the engineer who puts in time on the shop floor. Grey collar culture grows when leaders live it.
The Benefits of a Grey Collar Culture
Creating this culture pays off in measurable ways:
Higher quality welds – Less rework, fewer failures, more confidence.
Better communication – Welders, engineers, and inspectors speaking the same language.
Workforce resilience – Skills and knowledge shared across roles, not siloed.
Stronger reputation – Clients trust companies that combine practical skill with technical precision.
And beyond business metrics, it helps ensure the future of the trades. Without grey collar workers stepping into leadership roles, bridging shop-floor knowledge with technical expertise, the pipeline of welding talent will continue to shrink.
WeldLytics: Built for Grey Collar
From innovative inspection gauges to apps that streamline WPS and PQR creation, our mission is to equip grey collar professionals with the tools they need to raise the standard of weld quality across the industry.
Because weld quality doesn’t live in silos. It lives in the middle ground—where collaboration, discipline, and respect come together.
Creating a grey collar culture isn’t about replacing blue or white collar—it’s about uniting them. Grey collar is still a niche, but it’s also the bridge between past and future. Without it, trades risk falling behind. With it, we can create stronger welds, safer structures, and a healthier industry.
The future of welding isn’t just blue or white. It’s grey.