2 answers
2 answers
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Stephen’s Answer
Welding can be a great career, and there are lots of different kinds of welding jobs. You may find it's something you'll really enjoy! I am not a welder but I studied it a little in college.
The answer to your question is: it takes anywhere from 4 months to a year for an adult to train and certify to be a welder. Welders need to know different tools, materials, and techniques to get the job done. They also need to know how to read blueprints, how to follow safety procedures, and what quality is expected for different welds.
To work for a large company, you will be expected to have a basic education in welding where they will teach you about materials and technique.
Some high-school vocational programs provide this kind of education. I see that the El Paso Independent School District has a two-year program which culminates with you being able to test for your American Welding Society certification. More information can be found at https://www.episd.org/Page/3354
Many community colleges have a one-year program to teach you these things, and sometimes there are private training facilities in your area. I see that El Paso Community College has a welding training program: https://www.epcc.edu/Academics/AdvancedTechnologyCenter/welding-technology
In most training programs there is a fee for the training, and often you need to pay lab fees for the materials to practice on.
Once hired, many companies also have their own procedures, and they will train you on the job. This often is in the form of being paired with an experienced coworker to show you how each welding job is done and what is expected.
read the website for EPCC's welding classes for information on what you'll learn
talk to a career counselor or welding teacher about what kind of jobs there are in welding
find videos on YouTube about "a day in the life of a welder" to see what they do and why people like their jobs
talk to school counselors about what training programs may be right for you, and how you can work towards getting into those training programs
The answer to your question is: it takes anywhere from 4 months to a year for an adult to train and certify to be a welder. Welders need to know different tools, materials, and techniques to get the job done. They also need to know how to read blueprints, how to follow safety procedures, and what quality is expected for different welds.
To work for a large company, you will be expected to have a basic education in welding where they will teach you about materials and technique.
Some high-school vocational programs provide this kind of education. I see that the El Paso Independent School District has a two-year program which culminates with you being able to test for your American Welding Society certification. More information can be found at https://www.episd.org/Page/3354
Many community colleges have a one-year program to teach you these things, and sometimes there are private training facilities in your area. I see that El Paso Community College has a welding training program: https://www.epcc.edu/Academics/AdvancedTechnologyCenter/welding-technology
In most training programs there is a fee for the training, and often you need to pay lab fees for the materials to practice on.
Once hired, many companies also have their own procedures, and they will train you on the job. This often is in the form of being paired with an experienced coworker to show you how each welding job is done and what is expected.
Stephen recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Paul K’s Answer
Welding is a much needed career path. The Trades are in much need. All trades---- I was an apprentice electrician, wired houses for the first 3 years of my professional life. Humped wire and supplies, went to apprenticeship schools... The i got a job in the Federal govt as an electrician. Learned the commercial side of things. I had been in school in Columbus Ohio for the first 3 years after high school. Learning Electronics and electrical engineering. The math killed me. I was never strong in math. being an electrician was an easy way to develop a career without having to use all of that hard math. I then became an electrician lead, directed the work of others and then progressed to Small projects lead. I learned allot about project management and how to manage project budgets and time schedules. I left the govt as a Deputy Chief of Facilities Engineering. I have been at Fannie Mae since 2008 and am the Facilities Manager for the sole data center. I say all of this to tell you that the Trades in general can lead to a more management career, as you age. Welding has its disadvantages. You are outside allot, the breathing of the fumes can be hard on your health and you MUST wear that mask to protect your eyes. Welding leads to moreover "steamfitting" an you would likely be joining the Steamfitters union at some point in your career. The good side of welding is you are always going to be in need. My brother in law who lives in Lynchburg VA says a friend of his who owns a welding company says "if i can just find a few guys who will show up, stay drug free, and just come and do good work" he can keep someone like that employed for years. Let me share a project that we did. We needed to alter our chiller plant to add some cross tie valves and make the chilled water plant more efficient. This caused us t hire Bowers a large mechanical contractor in the Washington DC area. Those guys came in, we isolated each chiller, they cut the 18" piping, using their torches, and then fit in new valves, precision welding them back in place. Welding can be an incredibly rewarding career. I always enjoyed looking back after wiring a house or wiring a room of florescent lights and turning on the switch and going "Hey I did that" I gave me a sense of accomplishment. I guess I'm telling you that you may be a welder for a season, but set yourself up to where you can parlay that into some sort of Facilities or Trades management later-- that is where the money is. The only problem with that is you tend to put your tools down and pick up a pen and calculator. i wish you the best! Consider trades as a whole. Welding may be a path to another trade-- Bowers is always looking for good welders.