college for welding then what?

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Hey everyone, i joined up yesterday and posted my introduction and i though i get my main question out of the way.  It doesnt have to do directly with welding, but a gaining a career in welding in a couple years.  Ill just get right to it, i never knew what i wanted to be when i grew up, only that i wanted to be around cars.  Well i applied to college for a few things and got accepted to everything.  I want to go to a college for motive power technition, and get a welding certificat before or after that, im not sure yet.  So to anyone in the industy, would it be worth the extra two years to get training in motive power technition and then go on to get my welding certificat?  Or would it be a waist of time and money to do the motive power coarse?  Ill probably end up taking the welding coarse next year while i save up some more money to move out and go to college(in north bay ontario for anyone around ottawa/toronto).   So would my job oppertunities become so much greater to justify the extra schooling? or would a welding certificat and going onto apprentiship be a better rute?   Ive probably for got to ask a few things, so i might add some more after.
Reply:Hey Doug,Your intro and query indicates you are young and are preparing to enter the vast arena of the workforce playground. Only you can determine the primary interest you have that would be a satisfaction to you personally and the "hunger" you possess to learn the welding trade or the automotive trade. I believe those of us who have chosen the welding career know within this is the kind of work we find satisfies and rewards our efforts to be the best. We look forward to going to the jobsite, workplace, or being an individual owner/operator. Those of us who have many years under the hood, have a passion for welding and the interest to constantly learn new techniques, various genres of the field, ie., structural, rig, pipeline, fabrication, aerospace/automotive, etc.. You would do yourself a favor by investigating all avenues and try to go to the many workplaces that do both the auto arena and the metal fab/manufacturing facets in industry. That way you can see what is entailed in each arena and the requirements to be not only qualified, but the rewards of your efforts to engage in these careers. Hope this gives you some "food for thought". I'm sure others here will also provide sound info. for you to consider & examine. Good Luck....   DennyComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Schooling never hurts.  What if you begin an apprenticeship and decide it's not right for you?I went to school for welding engineering and fabrication technology, and got my bachelor's degree.  My internship was working with a Connecticut based business doing automotive chassis work (primarily for drag cars).  Was a great experience, but I quickly learned that I would much rather build cars for myself and a select few on the side, than to deal with the day to day B.S that comes with doing the work full time.  I then went on to accept a much higher paying job doing field engineering work.  I now deal with NDE, quality control work, orbital welding units, etc, in the nuclear and petrochemical industry.Is extra schooling right for everybody?  No.  But it's a LOT easier to do it all at once, than to tell yourself that you'll put it off for a few years, and then go back to finish.
Reply:Yorkiepap and supe have both offered sound advice. I had no choice except to learn welding, but truly loved working on cars. Long story short I worked as a mechanic (already had a lot of knowledge in the field) while attending college. By the time six months was over with the enjoyment I got from working on cars was completely gone. In fact to this day 30 years later I tell 'em I don't know anything about cars. Not true because I do all of the work on my own that I possibly can, and have completely rebuilt my Harley plus fixing everything else that has ever gone wrong with it. Want to find out if you like welding hire on somewhere as a helper. You will get to see the unromantic side in all it's glory. It's also a great way to learn the trade, because with school you get a couple of years learning about welding, and then when you finish a few more learning to be a welder. There is so much more to it than burning the rod.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:Funny, I've been thinking about just that.  You can be a guy at a table in a big aircraft plant welding aluminum tubes with state of the art equipment and a good 401k plan and full bennies or you can be a guy with a 1 ton flatbed with a good engine powered welder doing small odd work and contracts when you can get them.   Or you could do something completely different.  Look around and try to see something that has not been welded at one time or another.   Welding is everywhere.  Schooling is a wonderful necessary thing but it is only a start.  It allows you to get something way more important, experience.   All the facts and theories and charts are good to know but in the end, you'll only really use about ten percent of it.  The rest you learn over years in the field.  Then there's always the possibility that if you're clever and resourceful a lot of the things you learn in one world can be converted to help you in a completely different field.  My father's a 91 year old machinist,slitter operator, millwright,plant manager, owner/operator over the road trucker........  to name a few.He has a degree in Botany and Entomology.  I'm educated in my first love, electronics.  Yet I passionately love the past twenty years doing 60% greasy gears and cams an wrenching and only 40% electronics.   I suppose I could be a guy sitting at a bench troubleshooting circuit boards.  Then I'd probably be twenty pounds heavier and very boring.   My hands would be cleaner.  If ya don't mind the time, extra schooling is always good.
Reply:This is the question you need to ask yourself..... Do not think about it too long.if you won the mega lottery tomorrow, what do you want to do?Do what you dream and your job will not seem like work.If you want to be a welder there are many different types of welding jobs.I would take all the welding courses you can and the join the American Welding society. Take their certified welder exam and it will teach you a lot in the process of preping for the exam. Get a job welding and learn as much as you can.Have fun the "F" word.By the way you had 7 mispellings and two cities not capitalized in your post so i would work on your spelling when you can.