You want to learn how to become a welder, right? You are at the right place, welding one of the finest jobs on earth is quite tedious but like most intricate jobs, it needs skill and craft garnered from experience. Here are major tips on how to become a welder.
Familiarizing – To become a welder, you don’t just jump into it like swimming, no, on the contrary, we take time to understand the demands of the job as well as the dangers. You also have to have that mindset that most of the time you would have to freelance and search for jobs outside of your vicinity.
Research – No one who ever made it big in their profession stayed dormant without searching and researching the various advancement in their field. So also is welding, you need to be up to date with the various technological advancement and equipment in your line of work. Who knows, a little research could do you a whole lot.
Experience – Get some basic welding training, enroll in welding schools, training centers or join a union that will give you ample time to build up your reservoir in welding.
Specify – Take a specific liking to a special area, don’t dawdle into welding, rather pick a specific part of welding and stick to it. Be it MIG, TIG, Arc welding, Stick welding etc.
Certification – Get the necessary certificates to enable you to work in your chosen field of work.
Safety Issues Associated With Welding
Welding is a really delicate job and has a lot of safety issues associated with it. That is why all types of equipment and preventive protective equipment (ppe) are approved by government approved testing agencies as well as the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Also, all welders are expected to be fully kit in their PPE’s to avoid ant hazard that might occur during the course of performing their crafts. Safety hazards like; Electric shocks, Fumes, and Gases, Explosions to mention a few are to be battled with the appropriate measures. Hence, no welder should ever embark on a job if not properly kitted and equipped for the job.
Welding Safety Equipments:
- Welding Helmets
- Eye and Face Protection
- Respirators
- Safety Goggles
- Welding Boots
- Hand Gloves
- Body Protection ( Shirts and Pants )
- Aprons and Sleeves
- Welding cap or Hats
Welding Apprenticeship
To gain an apprenticeship in welding is not that tedious as envisaged. First off, only a High school certificate is needed to start the program. In fact, an apprenticeship program in welding is quite easy. Welding apprenticeship lasts from 6,000 to 8,000 hours or an equivalent of 2,000 hours per year for a period of three to four years, now this amount of time is spent on job sites in training centers and is supervised by a welder supervisor, and at the end of the program, you get a nationally recognized qualification, it also provides you with an opportunity to join the union of your choice. It also leads to or can lead to a profitable career as a contracted welder and can get you a salary of $25,000 – $33,000. With the apprenticeship program, you get an on-the-job experience as well as work experience to boot with it. Now, what’s better than that? Nothing right!
How to Become a Welder apprentice
Becoming a welder apprentice is not that hard, you can be one through the process of:
Company Training: Most companies offer an on the job training through apprenticeship programs, this is extremely useful and should be maximized to the fullest. By gradually going through this program and by spending more hours on it, you rise from the rank of entry-level welding and are on your way to the top as a journeyman.
Union – Join your local union, be it the pipe fitters or the iron-workers union. Just join them and apply for an apprenticeship program. Unions are known for having the best interest of their members at heart.
Mentor – As to every apprentice, there is a mentor. It does not always have to be in a formal education setting, most times what’s needed to be done is for you to find one of the notable and recognized welders in your area and spend time with them. Listen to their stories, watch how they work, pick up a thing or two from them and voilà! It is done, you’ve gained experience from them, though this may take a lot of time, there’s no specific schedule to work with and who says you can’t combine all three to get your apprenticeship? No one right, Exactly.
How Long Does It Take To Become a Welder?
To become a welder is not a days job, it takes a whole lot of time but its worth it I tell you. Formal education in welding takes a few weeks to 4 or more years of training. Training programs in technical schools last from 18 – 24 months of training and costs from a minimum of $5,000 to as much as $15,000. The American Welding Society also affords a certificate to welders at the rate of $1,040 for non-members and $825 for members. Certification to become a welder can either be achieved independently or through welding programs that are accredited and recognized by the AWS. Age is not quite a determining factor, but you have to at least be 18 years of age which makes you officially an adult in most parts of the U.S.
Becoming a Welder without Experience
Remember we talked about having experience during our major tips for welding, but if there’s no experience there’s still a job for you or rather a sparkling, bright future for you in welding. You can become a welder without experience on two basis;
Short term/ Homework: This refers to if you actually want to take up Welding as a job you do around the house without going full-scale. Now for this, no experience is needed, all that is required is that you engage in fun courses over the weekend or ones that can be arranged at your own convenient time.
Long-term – If you’re interested in a career in welding, your best bet would be to enroll in a trade school, courses offered could run from less than ten months long to as long as 2 years. These courses will get you to the point of an entry level welder, this entry level welder will place you above those who have no experience at all.
While its possible to gain experience from internet videos and articles, its always going to be better and more advanced that you learn from a trade school, or to go one up, to join a trade union. The Tulsa Welding School & Tech Center in Jacksonville, Florida offers training in welding.
How to Get a Welding Job
To get a welding job you need to be determined, to brush up yourself properly and always be in touch with the latest. Here are few tips to help.
- Get the required education.
- Get the right training.
- Learn enough to enable you pass tests that may arise in your field.
- Enroll in an apprenticeship program and participate in it. This cannot be overemphasized.
- Join a union or organization that will promote your interest.
- Pick a specific area and major in it, MIG, TIG, ARC, Stick welding. Perfect your craft.
Take all this into consideration and you’ll be on your way to getting a job as well as being sought after.
Requirements to Become a Welder
To become a welder professionally, you would have to have at least little formal education, most especially a high school diploma, and must have attended a technical college to learn the trade, you also have to be certified by the American Welder Society, you will be required to fill an application form, pass the physical strength test and take on a hands-on test at an AWS site. It may take you from four to six weeks to receive the certification pass once you have passed the examination. Physical fitness is quite paramount because welding is a very strenuous job and can keep you in some very tight spots. You would also need conversational skills and be a team player because while some jobs are done individually, others require teamwork. Learn all of this and practice them, get the required certification and they’ll always be a place for you in the field.
How to Become a Welder in Texas
Just like in most states, welding in Texas is quite lucrative and follows a certain procedure. First off, you need to get a basic certificate from a Texas trade school, then you have to be certified and accredited by the America Welding Society, and afterward, be approved by the Texas Bridge Division which is in charge of all welding constructions. Now note that this certification will be maintained as long as you don’t fall below the standard of the approved quality set down. With these qualifications, you’re ready to work not only in Texas but in most parts of the U.S
How to Become a Welder in Florida
Not quite different from the one in Texas, in Florida, there are several training colleges running from 2 years to 4 years and they take about 1 to 1½ years to complete combining practical and classroom training. Note, some of these training programs may prepare students to partake in the American Welding Society and get a certificate to work, but the site of Florida does not require certification of welders before they commence duty there as long as they clearly know what they do in their various field of welding.
Educational Recruitment
As a welder, you are required to be educated, while welding education requirements, some require you to have a high school diploma, while others require a certificate degree from a technical school or vocational college. The formal education programs will eventually lead to a Welding Certificate of Achievement, Bachelor of Science in Welding Engineering or Associate of Science in Engineering, lasting from a few weeks to a few years. The required classes are advanced mathematics, metallurgy, pipe layout, and welding practicum.
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FAQ’s
Question: How much do professional welders earn?
Answer: They earn from as little as $12.31 to $25.59 per hour.
Question: Can a 4 year Bachelor’s degree be processed faster?
Answer: Yes, a 4-year degree can be processed into an accelerated time period of 24 – 36 months.
Question: How can one become a journeyman?
Answer: One becomes a journeyman after rising through the ranks from apprenticeship to being employed by a master tradesman.
Question: Apart from being a welder what else is there for me in the welding industry?
Answer: Well, apart from being a welder that just welds there’s a whole lot of opportunity waiting for you, as long as you’re ready to advance yourself and gain some extra credentials. You can. Become a Welding Engineer, a Welding Instructor or a Welding Inspector.
Question: What are the career opportunities for welding?
Answer: To mention but a few, there are numerous opportunities as a welder like Car Assemblage, Engineering, Oil refineries, and Drilling, Manufacturing, Aerospace, Bridge and Steel Works.
Final Words
You don’t have work experience in welding and you want to commence work, no problem, just enrol in an apprenticeship program, join your local Welding union and find a welding tutor, and believe me, you’ll be working as a certified professional Welder.
Learn more at Learn.org, and careerwelder.com.
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