Welding is used in a wide variety of industries and settings, from creating bathroom pipes and common household objects to constructing bridges, buildings, and airplanes. Due to the importance of welding in society, ensuring that welds are durable is critical. After all, a pilot wouldn’t fly an airplane if they thought the plane was manufactured with low-quality welds!

If you’re considering a welding career, you’ll need to take weld quality seriously. By producing high-quality welds, you will prove to employers that you are dependable and that you take welding seriously, which in turn, can help you advance in your career.

Here’s why weld quality assurance matters, and how you can test the quality of your own welds during your training and beyond.

Develop the Skills to Produce High-Quality Welds in Your Welding Classes

The main reason that weld quality assurance is so important is because a poor-quality weld is more likely to break or leak. The consequences of weld failure can range from a small inconvenience, such as a kitchen pipe bursting, to something that’s far more dangerous like the structural failure of a bridge or gas pipe.

High-quality welds help improve the safety of structures, like pipelines

It’s clear then, that there’s a lot riding on a high-quality weld, which is why welding technician training is so essential to ensuring you develop the skills necessary to deliver consistently strong and durable welds throughout your career. Not only will your skills contribute to creating a better and potentially safer product, they will also help you gain a good reputation, and show clients and employers that you are reliable, and you’ve got the skills to handle any welding job. A solid reputation can help you progress in your career, since employers value welders who understand the importance of weld quality.

Welding Training Can Help You Spot the Signs of a High-Quality Weld

There are many tools and techniques used for determining weld quality, some of which are used by welders themselves while others are performed in laboratory settings. For instance, researchers use laboratory equipment to subject different types of metals to intense pressure in order to determine a metal’s durability and breaking point. Of course, as a welder, you won’t be directly involved in laboratory tests, but this research is how standards are developed for determining which materials and methods welders need to use for certain jobs.

However, there are other ways to test for weld quality, which you can try on the job. For instance, after completing a weld, you should check to make sure that any slag, which is the waste material produced during welding, can be easily removed. For some types of welding, like TIG welding, there should little to no slag at all. If there is an excessive amount of slag or the slag cannot be removed easily, then it may be a sign that the metal surface was not properly cleaned beforehand. An unclean surface can undermine the quality of your welds.

Additionally, if the structure you are welding is designed to hold liquid, you should check to make sure that your weld is leak proof. Many professionals spray their welds with soap bubbles, which will clearly show if and where a leak in the weld is located. By attending welding college, you’ll learn some of the methods that welders use on the job for ensuring they are delivering high-quality welds.

Welder training can help you develop skills for testing the quality of your welds

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Welding is a fun career not only because you get to work with your hands, but also because you get to work with a bunch of interesting gear. From implements used in the welding itself to the protective gear necessary for keeping you safe and sound on the job, there is a fair amount of equipment that welders will need – or just want – to acquire for their career.

Curious about what you’ll need for your own welding work? Here’s a look at some of the main items that new welders should focus on picking up.

You’ll Need to Get a Good Welding Helmet for Your Welding Career

Welding helmets are iconic for good reason – they keep welders’ eyes and faces safe, and are mandatory on job sites across the country. As a first step in accumulating your welding gear, then, it might be best to go with a good welding helmet.

When choosing a shade, there’s a decision to be made between getting a solid shade and an auto-darkening shade. The former is less expensive, and the latter a bit more useful, since you can see what you’re welding. Odds are, even if it hurts the wallet at first to get the auto-darkening shade, you’ll appreciate having done so as your career progresses, so consider getting the auto-darkening version instead.

A good welding helmet is essential equipment for your welding career

Welding Clamps Are Hugely Important, So Get a Few

Done correctly, welding joins metal together in a way that keeps the finished product strong, durable, and clean. All of these aspects wash away, though, if the metal isn’t kept stable during the welding process. Even the best welder training won’t make up for materials slipping, uncontrollably warping, or otherwise moving out of place.

The solution is to get some good clamps. A few clamps can be enough to keep the material you’re working with secure while you weld, and they should last a good length of time once you buy. If you’re not sure what kind of clamps to get, or what you should expect to pay for a good set, don’t be shy to reach out to the professionals teaching your welding program. With their many years of workplace experience, they will no doubt have some good recommendations to help you pick the right clamps for the job.

You’ll Want Good Safety Clothing After Finishing Your Welder Training

A welding career involves a lot of standing in the midst of hot, flying sparks. Since human skin doesn’t take kindly to encountering that kind of thing, one of the most important acquisitions to make after your training is safety clothing.

That means thick gloves, safety glasses, and ideally some sort of body protection. This can be a welding jacket, apron, or bib made of heavy leather, or at the very least an outfit made from natural fibres like wool, leather, or cotton. These are more resilient in the face of high heat than synthetic fibres, which can melt in the same situation.

Safety clothing is best for welders looking to keep themselves safe on the job

Safety should be a top concern of yours in your career, and while welding school will allow you to get plenty of instruction and hands-on practice with all the safety protocols you’ll need to know, it’s important to remember that investment in the right gear is an important element, too. Make sure you get the right outfit to ensure you have a long, productive, and rewarding welding career going forward.

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If you’re looking for a hands-on career that’s in demand and offers a competitive salary, welding may be a great fit. One great thing about training for a welding career is that you’ll gain skills that can easily be transferred from one industry to another. So, if you choose to attend welding college you’ll have a large variety of career opportunities open to you. Let’s take a look at a few of the most exciting paths you could pursue as a welder.

Many Welders Find Success in the Manufacturing Sector

Manufacturing is among the most popular industries for welders to work in. Since manufacturing is a very broad and diverse field, you can find employment as a welder in many different types of settings. For example, automotive manufacturing, which includes factories where cars, trucks and automotive parts are made, employs many experienced welders, particularly in Ontario. According to Statistics Canada, in Ontario, 18% of welders and related machine operators work in the motor vehicle, body, trailer and parts manufacturing sector, making it the most popular workplace for the province’s welders.

Another popular area where welders can find work is in architectural and structural metals manufacturing. In this sector, welders help assemble metal parts, like window frames, sheet metal, prefabricated buildings and ornamental parts, which are used for constructing buildings and large structures.

Pipeline Welders Work in Remote Areas and Earn a High Income

If you’re the adventurous type and like the idea of working in rugged and remote areas, then you may want to consider a welding career with pipelines. There are more than 840,000 km of pipelines that carry oil and gas across the country. While many of them are concentrated in Western Canada, pipelines stretch across the entire country and extensive pipeline networks can also be found in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

The opportunities for welders in the pipeline industry are twofold. First, when a new pipeline is being constructed there is a large temporary demand for welders. Then, when a pipeline is completed, it still requires a team of welders to maintain and repair it. Because pipeline welders travel extensively and to very remote areas, they are compensated with a higher income compared to welders working in other sectors.

Welding Careers in Shipbuilding Are In High Demand

If you’ve ever dreamed of working on or near a ship, then a job as a welder at a shipyard may be especially rewarding. Fortunately, now is a great time to find employment as a welder in a shipyard. That’s because the federal government is currently investing a lot of resources into shipbuilding thanks to its National Shipbuilding Strategy, which is a 30-year, multibillion-dollar program to renew Canada’s fleet of Navy and Coast Guard ships.

Because of the size of the program, it is likely to lead to increased demand for welders in places that have large shipbuilding operations. In fact, Nova Scotia is projected to have the strongest demand for welders in the country largely thanks to the shipyards located in Halifax. If you’re willing to relocate to the East Coast after welding college, then a career in a shipyard could be particularly promising.

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Trained welders are in high demand in a wide range of industries, including the automotive, construction, aerospace and manufacturing industries. If you’re looking for a rewarding, hands-on career, then welding may be right for you.

While the fundamental principle of welding—joining two pieces of metal together—has been around for thousands of years, today, welders use a wide variety of techniques. Some processes are preferred for different metals, environments and industries. The types of welding techniques you’ll learn in a good welding training program will unlock a variety of career opportunities. Here are just a few of the techniques that, if mastered, will make you highly sought after in numerous industries.

Stick Welding: A Fundamental Technique for Your Welding Career

Stick welding, also called shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) or manual metal arc welding (MMAW), is among the easiest welding techniques to learn. Mastering this technique during your welding training will make learning more advanced techniques much easier for you.

With stick welding, an electric arc is struck between the base material and the consumable electrode rod (also called the stick). The electrode rod is covered with a flux that, when melted, creates a gas shield and layer of slag that protects the weld from oxidization and contamination.

After completing your welding classes, you’ll have the skills needed to master the stick welding technique

While stick welding is easy to learn, welding experts know that the electrode needs to be replaced frequently, and the process produces a lot of slag—or waste buildup— that must be chipped away afterwards. Chipping away slag is not something many welders enjoy, but fortunately, there are other techniques that get around this problem. Read on to learn about some of these other techniques!

Metal/Inert-Gas (MIG): An Essential Technique for Any Welder

As you progress through your welding career, you’ll grow to  appreciate welding techniques that require less time spent cleaning up slag. That’s where metal/inert-gas (MIG) welding comes in. Similar to stick welding, MIG is fairly straight-forward and easy to learn, and it doesn’t create any slag buildup.

Here’s how it works: a solid-steel wire is fed into the MIG gun, where it then comes into contact with an electrode. When the trigger of the MIG gun is pulled, the wire is melted and a weld puddle is created.

MIG welding is an extremely useful technique for any welding hopeful to know, because it is quick and creates a high-quality weld. It’s also a technique that’s often used in the automotive industry. So if you plan on working in an automotive repair shop or in most manufacturing facilities after graduating from welding college, expect to become very familiar with MIG welding.

Tungsten/Inert-Gas (TIG): A Top Choice for High-Quality Welds

Once you’ve mastered the more fundamental welding techniques, like stick and MIG, you may want to take your skills to the next level by learning tungsten/inert-gas (TIG) welding. TIG produces a very high-quality weld, especially on thin metals. The non-consumable electrode is made of tungsten, which is an extremely strong metal alloy. When a very strong weld is needed, like in aviation and shipbuilding, employers look for welders who have mastered the TIG technique.

If you want to take your welding skills to the next level, TIG welding could open new job opportunities

Professional welders know that TIG is not an easy technique to learn, and the process takes more time than stick or MIG welding. However, that’s why TIG welders are highly sought after by employers. TIG welders are at the top of their trade, so once you master this technique, you’ll unlock many career opportunities for yourself.

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The best trade schools focus heavily on instilling the right technical knowledge and abilities into students, but there are lots of soft skills that are also advantageous in such careers. These are skills or personality traits which you may have possessed since childhood, but could come in very useful throughout your welding career too.

Employers are keen to hire well-rounded individuals with a good mix of welding knowhow and interpersonal skills. They can be assured that their new workers will represent the company honourably while carrying out a thorough job for clients. Here are five soft skills which will help you to land a top job in your welding career.

Curious Problem-Solvers are Well Suited to a Welding Career

Whether they’re working on a small housing project or an industrial pipeline, welders carry out intricate work. The finished product is expected to last for a long time, so supreme levels of concentration are always required.

Welder school is the perfect destination for you if you’re detail-orientated throughout your everyday life. Employers want professionals who approach work meticulously, and will go the extra mile in completing a thorough job for clients. Engineering problems will occur, and the best welders relish the opportunity to find a solution.

Complex welding projects can present plenty of unforeseen challenges

Strong Math Skills are a Useful Addition to a Welder’s Skillset

Welding is an exact science, and each millimetre and degree is important in completing an effective job for the client. If you’re comfortable with numbers, then welding could be the perfect career move for you. It’s a great feeling when you’ve made the calculations and executed the plans perfectly. A competency for numbers will also come in handy in managerial roles later in your career, as you draw up estimates, file invoices, and complete stocktaking measures.

Strong Communication Will Please Your Colleagues and Clients

Welders often work closely with fellow tradesmen during projects, such as builders, electricians or HVAC technicians. It’s vital to be in sync with each other at all times, so that all tasks are being completed in the right order.

Good communication skills are a major asset, because they allow you to clearly explain any welding issues to fellow colleagues, and problems are resolved much more quickly as a result. Clients will also expect clarity about the progress of projects, so being able to give them thorough updates and lay out the status of the job in terms they can understand is vital.

Stay Organized to Complete Effective Jobs After Welder School

You’ll quickly develop the necessary technical skills for many different jobs at welding training, but good organizational skills are essential in maintaining the right habits early in your career. Welders use lots of different equipment, like MIG guns, plasma cutters and arc equipment.

Make sure that you have the necessary tools to carry out each individual job, because missing items will end up costing time and money. Keep equipment well-maintained by storing tools properly and getting them repaired when issues arise.

Stay Fit to Perform Challenging Trade Tasks

Physical, as well as mental fitness is important in welding, as you complete complex tasks in some challenging locations. As a result, keeping an eye on your physical fitness can be important to your professional career as well as your personal life.

You certainly don’t need to be a bodybuilder, but develop the strength needed to carry welding equipment and use it effectively. A steady hand will help you to execute strong welding joints that will last for decades.

Welders need to be physically capable of working in difficult spaces

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Everybody needs help when trying to start their career, so don’t ever be afraid to ask for it. Connections are essential in the workplace. They help people to find new clients and maintain positive relationships with existing ones.

While welding is a much more technical, hands-on role, professionals in this industry must also make sure to dedicate time to developing business relationships. A highly skilled welder won’t fulfil their potential if they aren’t able to grasp job opportunities while interacting with experienced professionals.

Building and maintaining a strong professional network is just a matter of developing a few good habits. Here’s a helpful guide on how to go about it properly.

Focus on the Right People for an Effective Business Network

We meet lots of different people on any given day, but only a small percentage should actually be nurtured as business connections. Welding technician training develops the skills to prosper in a range of different working environments, where graduates will be working alongside a variety of other tradespeople. Welders should therefore always keep an eye out for construction, HVAC technicians, electricians and other professionals. These people may require welding expertise as part of larger projects in future, so make sure they know your name.

In addition, you can also pinpoint approachable welding professionals in your locality to reach out to for advice and opportunities. This can be done by attending union or association meetings to bump into members, or inquiring about former students who have entered the trade while at college.

Make a memorable impression on professionals you meet

Make a Good Impression Through Social Media After You Become a Production Welder

There’s a fine line between being persistent and being annoying, but you must try to remain in touch with your professional network consistently once the first lines of contact have been established. They should know how to get in contact with you, whether it’s a phone number, e-mail address or social media account. You could make it even easier for them by printing the necessary details on a business card and distributing them to trade professionals.

Internet channels, and social media in particular, have become crucial avenues for tradespeople to connect. As social media is a public forum, make sure you strike a professional tone in your interactions. Keep your professional details up to date, and use your account to keep in touch with those in your business network.

Use Initiative to Meet People and Find out More About the Welding Trade

Whether it’s your classmates, professionals, or your instructors, it’s also vital that you get some face-to-face time with other members of your business network while undertaking welding classes. You could organize to meet them for lunch or coffee to discuss some of the finer points of a welding career, and how to generate valuable business leads. Once they see your enthusiasm for the trade, they will be much more likely to recommend you to their colleagues when a vacancy arises or a welding task pops up.

Meet with welding professionals to learn more about the trade

You could also show some initiative by organizing to job shadow with a tradesperson, and you’ll quickly develop your skills further. You’ll likely meet many other professionals during a regular day on the job, thereby offering more opportunities to extend your professional network further.

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Errors are an unfortunate reality of any career, but can be particularly costly in welding. Doing a job incorrectly can lead to further repairs or the destruction of base metals, and welders need to consider many different factors before starting a new project in order to minimize the risk of something going wrong.

Fortunately, most common welding errors can be avoided by heeding the right advice. Many problems can be prevented by perfecting the right welding technique and making sure that all equipment is functioning properly. Others simply require a little vigilance and care. Read on to learn how to guard against some common welding mistakes in your future career.

Prepare Base Metals Correctly Before Welding

It’s easy for dirt, grease and other contaminants to build up in a welding workshop, and these can easily appear on base metals. Welding diploma holders will be aware of the importance of ensuring that these metals are clean before starting a welding project.

This can be done by grinding the metal to remove rust and dry paint, or removing liquid contaminants through the use of a suitable solvent. Failure to properly prepare the metals beforehand will result in a weaker weld, which is likely to crack again in the near future.

Damaged Cabling can Weaken Welding Power

Just because welding equipment is functioning doesn’t mean that it’s operating at full capacity. The cabling and connection should be checked regularly, as any damage can result in a drop in voltage and heat production for the weld.

Make sure connections to the welding machine are secure

Problems can occur if connections aren’t properly tightened during the setup stage, while damage is also possible if cabling is exposed to sharp objects or machinery. Check that all equipment is working properly to prevent frustrating damage from occurring.

Use the Right Current or Gas Level When You Become a Production Welder

Comprehensive welder technician training will help you develop the necessary skills for a variety of careers, including electric arc and gas welding. Keep in mind, however, that there are specific pitfalls to avoid with each technique.

Electric arc welders should be careful when choosing between the AC or DC current for their equipment. DC is most commonly used, but it can cause arc blow damage on metals where a magnetic field occurs. Using an AC current can overcome this problem.

In gas welding, keep a close eye on the problems posed by low and high gas levels. Unnecessarily high gas pressure can lead to an unstable welding arc, while low pressure can also cause defects.

Store Electrodes Properly to Avoid Major Welding Problems

Electrodes are used to fuse base metals together, and also contain the filler metal in arc welding techniques. They are a vital piece of equipment that needs to be stored properly in the workplace. Damp electrodes can lead to an ineffective weld, so keep them in a dry container. Dedicated electrode ovens are even available to keep certain rods at an optimum level of warmth and effectiveness.

Store electrodes in a dry location before use

Thick Metals may Require Multiple Welding Passes

Welders encounter metals of varying degrees of thickness, so treat them accordingly. Impatience may make you consider trying to weld thick metals in one pass with increased heat, but this won’t create a strong joint.

Multiple welding passes should be used in these cases to ensure a proper bond between the filler material and base metal. It may take a little bit more time, but it will save you the hassle of further repairs in the near future.

Solve lots of interesting engineering problems when you become a production welder.

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Qualifications are a necessity in almost any industry, and in the welding field it’s no exception. The Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) leads the way in training and certification in the sector, and is supported and recognized by the top organizations in the industry.

The Ontario headquartered group has offices around the country and is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada. The CWB’s impact on welding is much more than national, however. It has also become a worldwide leader in welding standards relating to certification, education, safety and membership.

Want to know more about this organization and the role it could play in your career? Keep reading to find out.

Why is the Canadian Welding Bureau so Important?

The Canadian Welding Bureau has been established for over 60 years as a leader in welding certification, and its regulation and oversight is vital to ensuring the quality, safety, and integrity of work done in the industry.

As such, it is mandatory to have CWB certification if you’re working in the structural and erecting industry in Canada. Many non-structural welding companies also choose to be voluntarily certified by the CWB, as they’re the only organization which offers nationally recognized credentials. Therefore, it’s important that the welding school you choose offers CWB certification.

CWB certification is required for a lot of welding work

What CWB Credentials can you Earn During Welding Training?

In a CWB certified program like the one offered at North American Trade Schools (NATS), students undertaking welding training will receive an industry recognized CWB Certificate of Achievement upon completion, and will also be able to join the CWB Trade Association.

Students also have the opportunity to get CWB certificates for passing individual welding theory modules. Coupled with the hands-on, practical training you will receive, a course like this will ensure that you are full job-ready upon graduation, and have the credentials employers will require.

Welding training offers hands-on experience which can be carried into your future career

How the Canadian Welding Bureau can Help you as you Develop your Career

The significance of the CWB doesn’t end once you graduate. The Bureau offers assistance to welders of all experience levels, as well as certification for welding supervisors and inspectors. Classroom courses are available in a range of national locations, which can help you to upskill in specialized areas like ultrasonics, industrial radiography, and non-destructive examination.

If classroom courses don’t suit your schedule, a wide variety of online courses are also available which examine further issues such as health and safety, inspection methods and surface inspection. The CWB’s years of experience mean that all bases are covered if you want to expand your expertise as your career progresses.

Companies that want to retain their own certification with the CWB must also ensure that their staff are fully certified, and always follow approved welding procedures, meaning you could also expect to deal with the organization should you have ambitions of starting your own business once you gain experience.

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Welding looks pretty easy in the movies. Take two piece of metal, apply heat, then just stand back and admire the way they melted together. Of course, it’s a little more complicated than that in real life. There are a number of things that can go wrong in a weld, and mistakes in welding can have expensive or even dangerous consequences.

Fortunately, the risks of error are greatly minimized for graduates of welding training, and learning how to judge the quality of a weld further ensures that rare mistakes are caught right away. For the curious, here’s how welding professionals do it.

Graduates of Welder School Know to Be Wary of Pores

Even small holes can have a significant effect on the structural integrity of a weld, so new welders quickly learn to look out for the presence of this defect in the work that they do. The presence of very small holes – a quality known as porosity – is a subtle indication that a weld isn’t of the highest quality.

There are a few potential causes of porosity. The metal may have been contaminated with dirt or grime, for instance, or insufficient shielding gas may have been used during the weld. Whatever the case, porous metal is something to be avoided, so it’s important for professionals to use their experience from welder school to ensure their materials and equipment are fully ready each time they start a job.

A Good Weld is an Even, Clean Weld

Since welding means joining one edge of molten metal to another, the weld probably isn’t going to look perfectly clean. It should, however, be free of slag and other debris, and the weld material shouldn’t be too skewed to one side. Welds that have too much slag or an uneven distribution of materials were likely not performed correctly.

In the case of slag or other debris, it’s sometimes possible to chip away the waste material and thereby gain a cleaner look, but uneven welds can be a more difficult task to fix. Sometimes, it’s enough to add some extra metal to clean up the look. Other times, it might be necessary to grind out the weld and do the job over.

To become the kind of welder who only needs to do a job once, it’s important to complete electric arc welder training at a school that will give you plenty of hands-on experience. To learn by doing is to build the real skills employers demand and that will serve you well in a welding career. With this education and a little luck, having to go back and redo a weld will be a rare occurrence.

Clean, even welds such as these are the goal for welding professionals

Pros With Welding Diplomas Know Just How Risky a Leak Can Be

When welding professionals are inspecting their work, there’s a pretty obvious sign they can look for when working on some projects: is the weld leaking?

Welding is often used for structures that hold water or gas, so having a leak spring can be inconvenient and even dangerous. Detecting leaks of water will, of course, tend to be relatively straightforward. For gas leaks, the precise location of the problem can be detected in a number of ways. This is a topic well worth running by your instructors at welding school, who will likely have their own recommendations and justifications to share.

It’s worth noting, however, that many professionals swear by simple, soapy water. Just spraying a water and soap solution onto the weld and seeing where it bubbles up can be a surprisingly effective verification method.

Here’s a video from Northwest Ohio Home Inspections that demonstrates the concept on a pipe that is leaking gas:

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