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Welders join
or sever metals in beams, girders, vessels, piping and other metal
components, make metal parts used in construction and manufacturing
plants, and/or weld parts, tools, machines and equipment. Welding
usually involves applying heat to metal pieces to melt and fuse
them together.
In electric
arc welding, heat is created as an electric current flows through
an arc between the tip of the welding electrode and the metal.
In gas welding,
such as oxy-acetylene welding, the flame from the combustion of
burning gases melts the metal. In both arc and gas welding, filler
materials are melted and added to fill the joint and make it stronger.
In resistance
welding, the metal piece itself is melted as current flows through
it, and no filler is added. Welders use different welding processes
and fillers depending upon the type of metal, its size and shape,
and requirements for finished product strength.
For a typical
welding project, they:
develop patterns
for projects or follow directions given in layouts, blueprints and
work orders,
clean, check for defects and shape component parts, sometimes using
a cutting torch, and
weld parts together.
Welders may
also build up worn parts by welding layers of high-strength hard-metal
alloys onto them. Welders work in a wide variety of work environments.
They may work outdoors on construction sites or indoors in production
and repair shops. Travel may be required on jobs such as oilfield
related welding. A 40-hour work week is normal, but overtime is
sometimes required. There is some risk of injury involved working
with torches and hot metals and the resulting sparks and toxic gases.
Qualifications
To be successful in the trade, welders need: manual dexterity, good
vision (glasses are acceptable), eye-hand coordination, the ability
to concentrate on detailed work, and patience.
The work is most rewarding for those who enjoy building things and
working with little direction or supervision. In Alberta, the Apprenticeship
and Industry Training Act requires that anyone working in this trade
must be either a certified journeyman or a registered apprentice.
To enter the Welder apprenticeship program, applicants must have
Grade 9 education or equivalent(or pass an entrance exam), and find
an appropriate employer who is willing to hire and train an apprentice.
Employers prefer to hire high school graduates and may select apprentices
from among their current employees.
The term of apprenticeship is three years (three 12-month periods
with a minimum of 1560 hours of employment each year). In addition
to the on-the job training, the term also requires eight weeks of
classroom training for each year. An applicant who has successfully
completed related courses of study or work experience, and has the
employerís recommendation, can apply for credit toward the
apprenticeship.
When apprentices attend training, they are required to pay the applicable
tuition fee and purchase course supplies. Human Resources Development
Canada may provide income support for apprentices attending classroom
training.
Salary
Apprentices earn at least 60 percent of the journeyman wage rate
in their place of employment in the first year, 75 percent in the
second, and 90 percent in the third year. Journeyman wage rates
vary, but generally range from $16 to $22 an hour plus benefits.
The highest rates of pay are offered for seasonal work in extreme
climatic conditions such as winter months in the Arctic, but these
jobs are usually for short periods. Contact Apprenticeship and Industrial
Training at the locations listed below to ensure your eligibility
for training courses. Once eligibility has been determined, send
your application for admission to Lethbridge Community College for
any of the trades listed above. An application form is available
in this calendar or on the LCC Web site (lethbridgec.ab.ca)
or submit the application form sent to you by Apprenticeship and
Industrial Training.
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