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Thinking About Planning a Career in Welding?
Welding can be a highly rewarding career. To ensure you are satisfied and successful in a career in welding, it will require planning, preparation and pursuing the job you love. At Kangan Institute, we have provided an overview of welding as a potential career, various opportunities available and other tips that can help you start a career in welding.
Before you embark on your successful career path, start by setting your career goals you wish to accomplish, and outline these steps to achieve your goals within a reasonable time frame. Research, clear vision, planning and determination are important factors that will help create positivity and enthusiasm towards your future career in welding.
Overview
A career in welding has often been described more as an art than a craft, it is considered a modern, evolving profession that appeals to so many male and females alike. Welding is constantly changing, it is dynamic and challenging and applies new knowledge and scientific principles.
Welders help fuse the world together. A career in welding can be found in fields from construction to car racing and manufacturing, welders use their skills to fuse metal together, to exact specifications and strength. There are numerous opportunities available in mainstream welding and various auxiliary fields.
The Demands
Welders are required to be physically and mentally fit, with great hand-eye coordination and the ability to remain focused on a repetitive task for extended periods of time. A good welder needs to be self-motivated, since part of your job can include freelancing and finding your own jobs. Welders are in high demand but sometimes you will be required to seek out and find the jobs that require a good and knowledgeable welder.
Types of Welding
Welders are needed for many different tasks and various industries. You should aim to learn the basic types and if you are aiming for a specific industry you should learn the correct type:
- Shielded-Metal Arc Welding, also known as Stick Welding, is a simple and popular type of welding due to its low cost and ease of use. It is predominantly used in construction jobs and in home projects.
- Metal Inert Gas Welding, also known as MIG welding, is commonly used to fabricate steel, stainless steel and aluminium. MIG welding is also used in the automotive industry, shipyards and various other industries.
- Tungsten Inert Gas Welding, also known as TIG welding, is a slow process that requires clean metal although it can create a high quality weld for almost any metal. TIG welding is considered a high-skill and will increase your job opportunities significantly.
Employment Opportunities
Welders - A career in welding you can expect to do exactly that, weld metal. Good welders can consistently find work in all types of manufacturing and performing their skill in the making of cars, ships, heavy machinery and more. If there are two pieces of metal that need fusing together, this is the job of a welder.
Welding Engineers - This position requires more responsibility, including project management and planning and also overseeing welders. Welding engineers are usually required to have experience drafting in CAD.
Welding Instructors - This job requires candidates to have passed the Advanced Welder Training examination from the AWS, which allows you to become certified to instruct others in the skills required to weld. This is also a great position for those looking to teach as their are many jobs available for qualified instructors. For this qualification you will be required to have several years of experience with various styles of welding to qualify for this certification.
Welding Inspectors - A career as a welding inspector means you are certified to evaluate and complete quality standards equivalent with the standards of the AWS. On the job training and working alongside a senior welding inspector will be required before completing this certification.
Get Certified
Prospective welders are encouraged to learn welding. TAFE institutions and universities offer training facilities and educational programs, for instance the Certificate III in Engineering (MEM30305). This engineering certification is positioned between trade and university level where students will complete the course with good practical skills mixed with good academic skills.
This nationally recognised course may lead to employment in the areas of design and drafting, including computer aided drafting (CAD), or alternatively production planning including scheduling work, working with materials handling systems, robotics, inspection, quality assurance and control, supplier evaluation and testing and technical purchasing.
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