Welding Tips and Tricks

G'day,

My name is Kain I'm 26 years old and from Adelaide, South Australia.

I have had an interest in welding for a while now and have actually followed through to learn the art properly and begin the journey to become a fully qualified boilermaker/welder.

I had a car accident in the beginning of 2012 which has left me with the option to change careers.
I am currently attending a trade school to eventually achieve Certification and hope to gain an apprenticeship
but thanks to the Government It's going to be almost impossible for anyone to get training (or at least afford it)

ATM I have completed Intermediate MIG, TIG & ARC with distinctions but I'm still very much a noob (a couple of months worth of practice in a cubicle doesn't compare to real site work), I hope that I am able to book in to atleast get advanced done before the price jumps to $680 per welding process lvl!!!

So the best I can really do is study the wisdom provided by you great blokes and my resource books untill I can actually get more prac time.

I might as well ask my first question while I'm here; How does a person with welders certification compare to a trade qualified welder/boilermaker If I had certification and was to get into an apprenticeship that accepted recognition of prior learning any idea on how long that could take off the 4 years required?

Cheers for taking the time out and reading my intro I look forward to learning more about the art from you guys out there

Regards,

Kain

Hey mate'

Welcome along. Ill try to hook you up with some info tomorrow, My heads not with it tonight.

Mick

Welcome to the forum.

Welcome to the forum Kain.

Welcome to the forum.

Kaino wrote:G'day,

My name is Kain I'm 26 years old and from Adelaide, South Australia.

I have had an interest in welding for a while now and have actually followed through to learn the art properly and begin the journey to become a fully qualified boilermaker/welder.

I had a car accident in the beginning of 2012 which has left me with the option to change careers.
I am currently attending a trade school to eventually achieve Certification and hope to gain an apprenticeship
but thanks to the Government It's going to be almost impossible for anyone to get training (or at least afford it)

ATM I have completed Intermediate MIG, TIG & ARC with distinctions but I'm still very much a noob (a couple of months worth of practice in a cubicle doesn't compare to real site work), I hope that I am able to book in to atleast get advanced done before the price jumps to $680 per welding process lvl!!!

So the best I can really do is study the wisdom provided by you great blokes and my resource books untill I can actually get more prac time.

I might as well ask my first question while I'm here; How does a person with welders certification compare to a trade qualified welder/boilermaker If I had certification and was to get into an apprenticeship that accepted recognition of prior learning any idea on how long that could take off the 4 years required?

Cheers for taking the time out and reading my intro I look forward to learning more about the art from you guys out there

Regards,

Kain

Kain,
Welcome to the forum! Sounds like you have some work and time ahead of you. As for your question, I can only answer in my opinion. I look at it like this, someone with a cert is great, but out of school this person on average will have very little actually working experience. While I am not putting a new welder down, if you are comparing someone with prier experience and someone with just a cert, I will take the experience first. Again this does not mean that the welder just out of school is not good. Get your certifications as soon as you can and maintain them. When you have a few years experience you should be able to go anywhere.
As for the credits, I am going for my Associate of Technical Studies in Welding Degree, and my welding certifications actually count toward a credit through a process called "credit by certification". I do not know if it would be the same in Oz, you will have to call around. Hope this helps.
-Jonathan

Welcome, Kain,

I can't answer for Oz (though I'm sure Mick will soon), but in the U.S. trade unions, "some" credit is given for education, and will result in a skills/knoledge test. Your performance on the skills & knowledge test will determine your "starting point" in the apprenticeship food-chain. It's exceptionally rare to avoid apprentice time entirely, but our unions are good about giving credit for existing ability and experience.

That said, our "locals" have varying levels of politics and "social structure" that can affect how far you can advance on previous training.

People are people, and subject to their own whims, everywhere.

Steve S

Right mate,

Let me see if I can help you out.

I know of people, who have worked in the trade for a long time with out actually being apprentices or trades men under the cert 3 guide lines (trade cert) if they doing the theory side of tafe, often at night school, they can get qualified under the RPL scheme you mentioned.

I don't think that would apply to normal appys, because you still have to do a set amount of hours "on the job"

That said, IM sure if you get some welding tickets, that will put you in great stead with a prospective employer, and if you do get an app, I'd say you could roll the piss easy welds in the books very quickly, if they don't sign them off with out you doing them. (you'd be pretty hard done by not to) You will still need to do the fabrication and other modules but the time for the welding ones would be cut back dramatically, which means less time at tafe and possibly less cost for an employer. Plus imagine have a gun welder on first year pay.(im sure you would attract better pay) Win for employers.

PS, did you end up with any disabilities from your car accord? (PM me if you don't want to put it out in the open.)

Mick

Thanks for the warm welcome and answers guys.

at the moment I am at TAFE doing a 2 week block (full time study) then the night classes, as for the car accident I did come out of it with a damaged cervical and thoracic spine, so my doc said I'll never get into the army (what I was originally going to do after the last job I had) and does not recommend construction labouring again as I was doing alot of very heavy lifting etc.

I do realise there is still lifting and all that involved with welding but not to the extend of carrying 50kg bridge anchors up stairs every few hours.

But from what my instructor has told me, there is plenty of money to made, there will never be a shortage of work and in fact there is a huge demand for skilled welders worldwide.

My dad and brother are both fitter and turners so it's only natural for me to NOT follow in their footsteps haha.
I have recently heard about the new $4.2 billion resort to be built up in QLD and they say there will be heaps of apprenticeships and jobs available for it's construction which is said to start within the year so i'll keep my fingers crossed for that.

as for the injury, nobody want's to hire me for that reason even though I can still work but not allowed to lift over 20kgs
and have dogman ticket, confined space, forklift, EWP etc.

all I can do is wait I guess.