What way to go when thinking about a career in welding?

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Im 18 years old living in Ontario. I am attending college next year for a 2 year program out of Niagara College for Welding Technician. If all goes well and I average 70's I can count those 2 years for my apprenticeship and only do 2 more years and than go for my red seal and do what I need to do. I was talking to a guy who worked for miller and hes saying I should get into Tig. Another says Stick. Im just so lost I have heard there has been a loss of jobs in AB for welding???? Opinions
Reply:I would recommend trying to get into the UA Pipe Fitters Union. They will pay you for your training (college education), and they produce the finest welders on the face of the earth.Obviously, there are fantastic welders who are not fitters. But overall..........."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:A weld apprenticeship is only a 3 yr apprenticeship. Not a 4 yr like a mechanical or electrical apprenticeship. You don't need Red Seal jman certification to weld in Ontario. You do need Red Seal jman or indentured with the AB government as an apprentice to weld in Alberta. Don't think you need to in the UA to become a good welder. I've seen plenty of pipe fitter welder on the construction sites who were ok but nothing to write home about. You can also have a good welding career in the IBEW as an electrician welder and in the Ironworkees Union as an Ironworker welder. On the union construction sites, the electrician welders are the highest paid welders and all they weld is channel, unistrut and ground tabs on pilings etc.Learn stick. That's the most versatile process in the construction industry. Next would be fluxcore.Last edited by snoeproe; 03-11-2015 at 07:11 PM.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:Im definitely going to work hard at stick and get a decent bead going with tig. Should i stay in Ontario or get out to AB? That was the plan in the first place.
Reply:Learn all processes, the more you know the more your worth , GTAW or Tig can make u a lot of $$ there are several companies out there that hire top notch.  Pipe welders, WSI, Continental, Arc Eng, CBI, and more. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply:Knowing all processes is good, no doubt. If you go through an official apprenticeship, you will be required to test on all processes to obtain your jman red seal  classification. Your other option is to get a job and attain 6000 hrs on the books then you can challenge the written Red Seal exam. Few options there. You will still need the individual weld tickets to go to work. If you want to weld pipe In Alberta you require the Alberta B pressure certification. Pipe in Ont is usually done through the TSSA. Structural is CWB (Canadian welding bureau) Canada wide. Each process with each different material requires a different ticket.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:There was a sub-contractor at Suncor that went bankrupt and laid off about 1000 workers. They didn't even give the workers a bus ride to Ft. McMurray and Suncor's contract states the workers are responsible to get to and from the jobsite. This was on the news yesterday. Some of the guys from out of province are looking at $1200 for the flight home. A Red Seal ticket is strictly a written test. You do not need to have anything other than your Journeyman ticket to challenge it. In Alberta, you take the Red Seal test in your final year of apprenticeship. Of course if you don't pass your journeyman theory and weld tests it's a moot point but you still get to take the test. It's the same test as the NAIT (Alberta) test but 50 questions longer. At least it was in the 80's. One thing to note is that contrary to what some people think, Alberta does have the highest standards for welding in Canada. If you come from another province you may have to challenge the practical welding tests as well. Before you can test for TIG pressure tickets, you have to have your B-Pressure stick ticket. Every type of metal and each process requires a separate ticket. The only pressure ticket that doesn't require a B-Pressure stick ticket is a sub-arc ticket. Alberta is hurting with the low oil prices.Last edited by Welder Dave; 03-13-2015 at 01:32 AM.
Reply:I retired from Nuclear Power Plants , and Hired Hundreds of Welders though out the years, If your good and can pass test you in, PF, IW, BM,  and more , I didn't care to see a ticket either , you can tell a good welder just by attitude lololSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply:Coming out of school do not be surprised if you end up on the end of a grinder a good part of the time.  Everyone will tell you the grass is greener somewhere else.  In the end you have to make the decision yourself.    Personally I would not get so worked up on GTAW when you are starting out.  I agree that if you have all position stick skills the rest will follow.  In our area students at the end of their training get the opportunity to do some CWB tests of their choice.  Personally I would suggest developing your SMAW skills and see if you can do all position stick CWB tests at the end of your course.  Of course you will have to pay testing fees.  Some students who have done all the talk through the year choke on these basic tests first time.  When you are practicing your welding keep in mind that all your training is building up to that one test that will determine if you can pass and be accepted by an employer.   All position SMAW will make you attractive to employers doing structural steel work because of your paperwork.  Most inside work is now wire feed but someone who has stick qualifications will be able to do basic flat and horizontal wire feed processes with five minute's practice.  What I am saying is the basic CWB ticket will open doors so that you can build up work experience.   Once you are working keep your head down and tail up doing the best you can.  Everyone in the industry in each region are like fish wives at breaks.  We gossip about which shops are good to work for and which are bad.   Which supervisors are good and which ones you want to stay away from.  That is the time to listen and figure out what is just bull droppings.  From the talk you will figure out what your next career move will be.   You are going to get laid off.  You are going to lose your job.  That is the way it is in the steel trades.  When the building is finished unless the company has another building to erect you are gone.  If you are building a ship... same thing.  If you are installing a brewery.. same thing.  When you are working you plan for your next job.  When you are not working your are working by dropping off resume's and making contacts.
Reply:Thank you all for your responses. Im just very lost at the moment lol. Got alot to think about over the next couple of months.
Reply:Originally Posted by Welder DaveThere was a sub-contractor at Suncor that went bankrupt and laid off about 1000 workers. They didn't even give the workers a bus ride to Ft. McMurray and Suncor's contract states the workers are responsible to get to and from the jobsite. This was on the news yesterday. Some of the guys from out of province are looking at $1200 for the flight home.
Reply:Originally Posted by jababThank you all for your responses. Im just very lost at the moment lol. Got alot to think about over the next couple of months.
Reply:I didn't hear the whole story but Suncor did lay off about 1000 workers and cut their budget a little... about a $1,000,000,000! Yes with a B.http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/01...n_6466000.html
Reply:Pacer-Promac is the same company that laid off 65 Canadian ironworkers at Imperial Oil's Kearl lake project last fall. The next day they brought in TFW workers from Croatia to replace the Canadians. It's companies like this that are causing the fed government to rethink the TFW program.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:Originally Posted by Welder DaveI didn't hear the whole story but Suncor did lay off about 1000 workers and cut their budget a little... about a $1,000,000,000! Yes with a B.http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/01...n_6466000.html
Reply:Originally Posted by Welder DaveI didn't hear the whole story but Suncor did lay off about 1000 workers and cut their budget a little... about a $1,000,000,000! Yes with a B.http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/01...n_6466000.html
Reply:Projects in the oilsands are usually in the billions. With the low oil price Alberta really suffers, especially the smaller companies doing work for the oilsands and oil related work in general. What driver makes $150K in 6 month's? Syncrude makes a million profit a day. Suncor is probably close. The profit is less right now but they aren't loosing money, just holding back on spending till things improve.