How do I become a CWB Structural Welder ?

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I am a 24 year old from Alberta ,Canada and currently I'm a 1st year Welder Apprentice/ Welder Helper with roughly 1400-1500 hours of on work experience so I can register for school now if I really wanted to this second. I work in a fabrication shop manufacturing Screw Piles and the only process we use is MIG.I am trying to convert to being a CWB structural welder and am not entirely sure how to go about doing that. I noticed there is online courses from the CWB website, so do I have to take those courses? If so which ones ?and is that all that stands between me being a CWB welder?Any advice helps, thanks!
Reply:Retyping this...Are you trying to strike out on your own, or get certs to make yourself more useful to the shop you work for?If it's for the shop, talk to your floorboss or supervisor. If you're wanting to do your own thing, you need to start a business and talk to one if the cwb advisors (talk to one of them first).If you're trying to get certs in order to make yourself more appealing to other potential employers, get the procedure lists you want, and practice it/them. Don't bother getting a ticket until you're hired, you would only have 3 months to find a shop certified in those procedures or you will have to retest from the beginning. IIRC its $300/ plate.Last edited by Teutonic Welding; 07-02-2015 at 06:19 PM.Reason: added info
Reply:Change jobs the job will do the testing and pay for it.
Reply:Its more so get certs to make my resume more appealing to move my career from fabrication to structural or mod yards for example, just unsure if its worth it to pay myself or which certs I should even get for structural. Im sure companies will pay for all your training,  its just when a company has an opening for a 1st year welder you know a lot of welder's are gonna jump on that and i'd like to be ahead of the game.
Reply:The CWB modules are primarily for people who want certifications for welding supervisor and welding inspector.  Your foreman is likely a certified welding supervisor if your shop is CWB certified.  It would be wise to determine if you are working in a shop that is certified by CWB.  If it is then the GMAW tests you do in the shop would be CWB tests not unlike what you would be required to do for all position SMAW.  For any tests you successfully do you should receive a plasticized card.  Some employers have been known to screw their employees over by withholding the cards.  It happened on a regular basis in one shop I worked in.   As far as the CWB is concerned you could be anyone off the street in order to qualify to test.  The CWB qualification only determines if you can weld to a certain procedure and pass.  There are other authorities that make other rules but CWB is only concerned if you qualify to weld to a certain standard so that you can weld in a CWB certified shop.  What it means is a guy can come in off the street do the test, pass and have very little knowledge or skill other than how to do that one type of weld.  I have seen this situation.  The guy spent over 20 years chained to a set of horse and a welding machine because that was all he knew and could do.  Weed and beer also had a bit to do with it.  I would expect if you complete your apprenticeship you would be able to pass an all position SMAW procedure on plate.
Reply:Alberta is a different animal than provinces in the rest of the country. I'll use Ontario for an example because I live there. I also work ad travel in and out of Alberta for welding work. Anyone can walk into a CWB testing Center and do an all position stick or fluxcore weld test in Ontario. You pay the fee and take the test. In Ontario, welding is not a compulsory trade like it is in Alberta. In Alberta you need to be an Alberta journeyman or Red seal journeyman or an Alberta registered apprentice plus have your CWB  to weld structural steel. I don't think the CWB will allow a first yr apprentice to take the all position structural test. You may have to be a 3rd yr apprentice before you can take the test?JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720