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Welder Directly to the left of this help icon you will see this work indoors and outdoors icon that represents where Welder work most of the time. If the person in the icon is standing outside the building then the work is mostly outside. A person inside respresents mostly insde work and two people (one inside and one outside) represent the work has a bit of both. By clicking the Details buttons to the left will open the page and allow you to read more about becoming a Welder. After you have spent some time reading and you would like to find out what schools are offering training for Welder click the Yes, use this career in my Journey button.

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Welder

work indoors and outdoors

Welders use a variety of welding processes to join and sever metals. Wire process operators use wire feed welding processes and work primarily in production environments.

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  • Related School SubjectsDetails

    Math; English; Physics; Chemistry; Shop; Physical Education

  • Field of StudyDetails

    Welders are employed in industries involved in:

    • Vessel or structural steel assembly.
    • Pipeline construction.
    • Commercial construction.
    • Industrial construction.
    • Steel fabrication.
    • Heavy equipment repair.

    Wire process operators are employed in industries involved in:

    • Manufacturing vessels.
    • Structural steel fabrication.
    • General steel fabrication.
    • Truck body fabrication.
    • Heavy equipment repair.
  • DutiesDetails

    There are two branches of the welding trade in Alberta:

    • welder.
    • wire process operator.

    Welders:

    • Join and cut metals in beams, girders, vessels, piping and other metal parts.
    • Make metal parts used in construction and manufacturing plants.
    • Weld parts, tools, machines and equipment.
    • Apply heat to metal pieces to melt hem together.
    • Use different fillers depending on the type of weld required.
    • Develop their own weld patterns.
    • Follow blueprints, work orders or customer instructions.
    • Clean, check for defects and shape parts.
    • Use electric arc welding: electricity is used to melt filler material to join metal pieces.
    • Use gas welding: gases burn to melt filler material to join metal pieces (oxy-acetylene welding).
    • Use resistance welding: no filler - the metal pieces melt together as current flows through them.

    Wire Process Operators

    • Work primarily in production and manufacturing plants.
    • Join components and sub-assemblies.
    • Use gas metal arc welding.
    • Use flux cored arc welding.
    • Use submerged arc welding.
    • Use other semiautomatic wire feed welding processes .
    • Choice of weld depends on type and size or shape of metal and what needs to be done.
    • Follow blueprints and work orders.
    • Join parts together.
    • Clean welds and check for defects.
    • May use cutting torches to separate metals.
    • May build up worn down parts by welding layers of high-strength hard-metal alloys onto them.
  • Working ConditionsDetails

    Location:

    • Indoors
      • Production shops.
      • Repair shops.
      • Metal fabrication shops (wire process operators).
      • Long periods of standing (wire process operators).
    • Outdoors
      • Construction sites.
      • All weather conditions.
      • Oilfield sites.
      • May need to travel to work sites.

    Hours:

    • Regular Work Schedule (Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm).
    • May need to work evenings or weekends and/or holidays.
    • May need to work overtime.
    • May need to work shiftwork.

    Heavy Lifting:

    • Lift and carry up to 20 kilograms and heavier (welders).
    • Lift and carry up to 10 kilograms (wire process operators).
    • Risk of injury working torches and hot metals.
    • Risk of injury working with toxic gases.
  • PersonalDetails

    People working in this trade need the following characteristics:

    • Works well with hands.
    • Good vision (glasses are acceptable).
    • Good eye-hand coordination.
    • Able to concentrate on detailed work.
    • Patience.
    • Enjoy building things .
    • Enjoy working with little supervision.
  • EducationDetails

    Most employers prefer to hire high school graduates.

    To work in this trade in Alberta, at least ONE of these must be true:

    • You are a registered apprentice.
    • You are an Alberta-certified journeyperson.
    • You have a recognized related trade certificate.

    To register as an Alberta apprentice you need to have:

    • English Language Arts 10-2 or equivalent.
    • Math 10-3 or equivalent.
    • or able to pass the entrance exam.
    • An employer willing to train you.

    Apprenticeship term:

    Welders:

    • 3 years.
    • 1560 work hours each year.
    • 8 weeks classroom training each year.
    • If you have training or work experience in this trade it may count towards your certification.
    • May take exam in final year to earn Red Seal and work throughout most of Canada.

    Wire Process Operators:

    • 2 years.
    • 1st year: 1500 work hours + 8 weeks classroom training.
    • 2nd year: 1800 work hours.
  • Programs OfferedDetails

    Technical training is arranged by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training and is currently offered at:

    Technical training for wire process operators is arranged by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training and is currently under development.

    For more information, visit the Technical Training Centre on the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training website.

    Outside the apprenticeship program:

    • The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary offers a two year Welding Engineering Technology diploma by distance and non-distance delivery. The entrance requirement is a high school diploma with English Language Arts 30-1 or 30-2 and Pure Math 30.

    Pre-employment programs for prospective apprentices and continuing education programs for journeypersons may be offered on an as needed basis by the institution(s) listed above or other schools.

    For current information about programs, admission requirements and mature student admission policies, please check post-secondary calendars or websites.

  • AdvancementDetails

    Job Opportunities in this trade include:

    • Management or supervisory positions.
    • Inspector.
    • Self-employed with own welding shop.
    • Portable rig welder.
    • Some wire process operators open their own manufacturing plants or production shops.
    • If you have supervisory or management experience in this trade, you may apply for an Achievement in Business Competencies Blue Seal by contacting Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training.

    Job openings are affected by:

    • Current employment rates.
    • People leaving existing positions.
    • Creation of new positions that never existed before.
    • Size of the occupation.
    • Time of year.

    Future Trends:

    • More than 26,800 Albertans work in this category.
    • Expect below average growth of 1.7% from 2013 to 2017 in Alberta.
    • Forecast 456 new positions each year.
    • Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
  • SalaryDetails

    Journeyperson wage rates for welders vary but generally range from $25 to $40 an hour plus benefits (2009 estimate). Apprentice welders earn at least 60 per cent of the journeyperson wage rate in their place of employment in the first year, 75 per cent in the second and 90 per cent in the third.

    Wage rates for wire process operators vary but generally range from $15 to $25 an hour plus benefits (2009 estimate). Apprentice wire process operators earn at least 60 per cent of the journeyperson wage rate in their place of employment in the first year and 75 per cent in the second.

    According to the 2011 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in the Welders and Related Machine Operators occupational group earned on average from $26.61 to $37.49 an hour. The mean wage for this group was $32.25 an hour.

  • Other SourcesDetails