[Revocide]

Hi guys of Welding tip and tricks.

I am looking into how to become a qualified welder. The relevant tafe or college can provide the necessary training I guess but it's the overall qualification that is bugging me.

I do realise that there is a reason why mugs like me cannot just do some courses at tafe and voila your a welder. This would undermine true trades qualified people. Is there any way that people (like my self) can achieve a qualification without going through a full blown apprenticeship. I realise you're never too old to go back to school.

Any previous experience from other members out there?

Exploring my options if there are any.

Revocide

[Coldman]

Tafe Skilltec do adult night and weekend courses that include introductory, intermediate, advanced and certification to AS1796 in association with WTIA. If you get good teachers the courses are very worthwhile.

[weldin mike 27]

Also, if you have been around the trades for a long time, a tafe can help you with what's called RPL or recognised prior learning. It's where they look at what you know and assess your requirements for certificate 3 in engineering (welder/fabricator) from there.

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[Poland308]

Any and all weld cert s only prove you were able to weld on test day! After that it's up to you.

[VincenzioVonHook]

Skillstech is the place to check out.

You start off doing basic welding practical, then basic theory. After that you can progress to welding intermediate (AS 1554 GP) then welding advanced (1554 SP) and then onto certification theory and welding certifications (AS 1796)

All of these courses are done at night over a few weeks. Thats how i started. Did not want to go back to $15 an hour as an apprentice, so i did my basic and basic theory over a few weeks, the followed up with the 1554.1 GP. Straight to $30 an hour welding up sheet for trailers. Piss easy.

[Revocide]

Hi guys and thank you for the replies.

At the moment I am doing an introductory 6 week course at the local college (formerly known as Tafe) and the lecturer will let me know about RPL. I am by no means a fully fledged boily or structural welder, but I like the work. Dangerous as you make it of course.

Just getting the finer details sorted. This short night course has shown me alot about the safety aspects of welder, plenty of common sense in there for sure but a few ahhh, ok moments in there too.

What ever the skills I learn from these courses I am certain I will be able to get a better paying job. Welding is a unique skill, creation of amazing things.

The local tafe shows the AS/NZS 1554 as part of a coded welding course, I was assured by my lecturer that there are many pre reqs before I could enrol in that course. Another college offers this http://www.polytechnic.wa.edu.au/conten ... al-purpose. A bit far away from me though.

I'll keep you posted

Revo

[Coldman]

The gp course is the next step up from your introductory course and you should certainly do it plus the next sp course along with the theory that goes with it.

[gnabgib]

TAFE testing and certification is very good but regardless of how brilliant you were at that whoever you apply for a job with, will test you again. So, being certified will get your foot in the door.

[Revocide]

Hi guys

After some pestering of some local tafe people I have been assured that I cannot simply do the required courses to attain a qualification/level of competency. To prevent people taking a short cut to a trade level qualification.

Well if the local tafe can't help me out I shall do some digging around and find out someone who can get my skills all polished up.

Thanks for the input guys

[weldin mike 27]

Are you working in the trade? Or just planning to do this for later on?

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[gnabgib]

Hi guys

After some pestering of some local tafe people I have been assured that I cannot simply do the required courses to attain a qualification/level of competency.

Not so in my case and I have the certification to show for it.

[weldin mike 27]

I know that as long as you have a reasonable amount of experience in the trade, you are apples.

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[VincenzioVonHook]

Hi guys

After some pestering of some local tafe people I have been assured that I cannot simply do the required courses to attain a qualification/level of competency. To prevent people taking a short cut to a trade level qualification.

Well if the local tafe can't help me out I shall do some digging around and find out someone who can get my skills all polished up.

Thanks for the input guys

That sounds like a load to me. I never worked in the welding industry an I enrolled straight into the basic welding practical. if you look at the page on skillstech there is no entry requirements. When I finished the Basic Welding prac and theory I enrolled straight into the Welding intermediate (1554.1 GP) and got a job at a trailer fab/sheetmetal company straight after. Im not qualified to fabricate/form, ie i'm no geometry beast but I am now qualified to weld. There is a difference between being a 1st/2nd class welder and a trade qualified fabricator.

Most boilermakers or sheeties don't actually do coded welding in their cert 3 training. Most of my mates are boilermakers/sheeties/fab's through a trade and most of them only did their basic MIG/TIG/Stick/OXy that is covered in the basic welding course or Welding intermediate at TAFE. They went on to do their certification separately or work funded through a private training institutes.

[weldin mike 27]

I think the response was regarding the as1796 welder qualifications, or "tickets" commonly issued by the WTIA, but as I have said, you should only need a set amount of hours in the welding/fab industry, nothing astronomical.

Mick

[cb400chopper]

I don't know if it's changed much since I did my apprenticeship and some of my mates did there welder quals. but from memory everyone started with Module welding and thermal cutting then you could do mig stick or tig 1,2 and 3 this didn't make you a certified welder but it showed your employer you had some training and could weld under supervision as all that was needed was to be deemed competent. From there once you have the required experience you can then do certification to an AS code

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[Revocide]

Are you working in the trade? Or just planning to do this for later on?

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I do some light fabrication as part of my job, mainly using square tube to make framework, trolleys etc. Due my limited facilities I cannot do any bigger jobs than that. With more training and a qual or cert to my name I can look for a better paying job, things are priceeeee here in the sunburnt land.

Hi guys

After some pestering of some local tafe people I have been assured that I cannot simply do the required courses to attain a qualification/level of competency. To prevent people taking a short cut to a trade level qualification.

Well if the local tafe can't help me out I shall do some digging around and find out someone who can get my skills all polished up.

Thanks for the input guys

That sounds like a load to me. I never worked in the welding industry an I enrolled straight into the basic welding practical. if you look at the page on skillstech there is no entry requirements. When I finished the Basic Welding prac and theory I enrolled straight into the Welding intermediate (1554.1 GP) and got a job at a trailer fab/sheetmetal company straight after. Im not qualified to fabricate/form, ie i'm no geometry beast but I am now qualified to weld. There is a difference between being a 1st/2nd class welder and a trade qualified fabricator.

Most boilermakers or sheeties don't actually do coded welding in their cert 3 training. Most of my mates are boilermakers/sheeties/fab's through a trade and most of them only did their basic MIG/TIG/Stick/OXy that is covered in the basic welding course or Welding intermediate at TAFE. They went on to do their certification separately or work funded through a private training institutes.

I found after some research about the AS/NZS 1554.x standards that you speak of that an organisation called DNA Kingston Training do offer this

http://www.dnakingstontraining.com.au/c ... ering.html

Not sure if they offer this at their branch here in my town. I'll find some place that offers what I need, I need to do this. I like the work, the challenge of honing a skill.

[Coldman]

That course looks like $4.5k of general construction tickets like safety induction, work at heights a scissor lifts, fork lift etc maybe alittle introductory welfing but nothing to get you on your way. I wouldn't blow those bucks on a course like that. Cert2 won't get you far.

[VincenzioVonHook]

Where are you? Pretty much most TAFE institutes in QLD offer basic, intermediate and advanced welding courses. They are all 3 or so hours a weeks for 10 weeks. They are cheap as well, starting around $500-600. You are being spun a lie from TAFE, I guarantee that. FOr a reference look at TAFE QLD/skillstech website for basic/intermediate welding, for the basic welding there is no prerequisite, and for 1554.1 you only need to finish the basic course.

Private training companies charge a lot more for their welding courses, they normally take longer as well. TAFE is the way to go on this one if you aren't made of money. I have numerous friends that had absolutely no experience welding and we all now have our 1554.1 GP.

[weldin mike 27]

And private companies sometimes piggyback off your work place for machines and materials. Meaning you miss on on the spot training.

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[Revocide]

Where are you?

The mild mild West of Australia or Wait Awhile as some call it. Seems there ain't many training facilities down here SW oz.

So I went to look at the Big City, Perth. Well! There are plenty of facilities willing to take my hard earned moolah.

Two notable mentions:

XLT Training - These guys offer training for these SRC cards or Skills Recognition Certificate. Seems like a good idea the BUT is that just recognizes these cards? Could amount to a pretty plastic card in your wallet and not much else.

The other is

Australian Welding Academy - Sounds legit with a name like that does it not. For $1600 they will train me for 5 days and give me a certificate of Welder Training and attain a coded welder qualification I just need to pass a test for the relevant process and to the AS/NZS 1554.1 standard.

Any one heard of these

Revo

[Poland308]

I'm not from Australia but if certification there is like it is here then I have to have an employer sign off on and send in paperwork every 6 months to keep my certs up to date. After that there just paper cards like you said. But. 5 days of intense training were you can focouse on just welding with some good over sight can be well worth the time and money. I'd check references of any short term program. Even if it ment I had to call businesses in the area to see if they recognize the training offered by that specific place.

[VincenzioVonHook]

Where are you?

The mild mild West of Australia or Wait Awhile as some call it. Seems there ain't many training facilities down here SW oz.

So I went to look at the Big City, Perth. Well! There are plenty of facilities willing to take my hard earned moolah.

Two notable mentions:

XLT Training - These guys offer training for these SRC cards or Skills Recognition Certificate. Seems like a good idea the BUT is that just recognizes these cards? Could amount to a pretty plastic card in your wallet and not much else.

The other is

Australian Welding Academy - Sounds legit with a name like that does it not. For $1600 they will train me for 5 days and give me a certificate of Welder Training and attain a coded welder qualification I just need to pass a test for the relevant process and to the AS/NZS 1554.1 standard.

Any one heard of these

Revo

It does make it hard when you aren't in a major city. I have become accustom to living in Brisbane where there are a few TAFE's that do GP welding courses. I have no info about these institutes you have mentioned, but does the second one offer all processes for the $1600? The TAFE course I completed covers MIG, TIG, SMAW, and teaches you routine oxy welding, brazing and soldering for $550ish.