some help please

admin

so I have a question for those of you who weld for a living. Is it worth the time going to school and getting your AA in welding or just get certified in stick and wire and try and get a job from there. I currently am going to school and just need to get certified in wire then i will have both, Now i dont know if I should  keep going and take a bunch of health and english classes just for a 2 year degree, I have taken all the classes that would benifit me, such as blueprint reading, metal fabrication and theory, and rigging classes. So now im stuck any advice would help thanks
Reply:I think if you want to be a managment type in some companies a degree may help, out in the field in the trades it doesnt mean squat as far as I can see. Some of the crappiest welders I have seen are the degree ones,, it seems they thought that that was the goal, never did really learn much about welding. If you wanted to be a welding teacher it would help.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:spence: Can't really knock the schooling, but myself, like sberry,where "raised" in the construction field. If it was me in this position, while going to school I would also look into the construction trade apprentiships like, boilermakers,pipefitters,ironworkers,ect. (these 3 use alot of welding,fitting ) You would go thru the same type of classes that you are taking now plus the osha safety training. You would also be working and learning thru "on the job training" and making some of the highest blue collar wages available while improving and learning more skills. Once thru the program, the doors become more open to you to branch yourself out.  revpol
Reply:If you work in the trades and go on different jobs with many different companys ,then i would say get your certs. and go to work.BUT if you work for one company and plan on staying with them i would say get yourA.A..degree.it may help you move up later on.also after you take those dreaded classesonce.you never take them again and you can take other trade classes or some engineer classes to further your degree.This advive comes from a man that spent 4 years in the military,been to 5 different colleges and still doesnt have any type of degree.BUT i did learn a thing or two.any education is never a waste.
Reply:first of all....why do u want a career in welding.  most welders that i know say that they wish they would have chosen something different than welding as a career.    i was just wondering what attracted u to this line of work.  ill tell u this much though......i have been employed as a welder since 1980.  i have worked in ship yards, machine shops and just about anywhere that welding is done.  i currently work for an aerospace company and as far as welding jobs go.........this is about the peak for welding as far as im concerned.  i work in a controlled enviornment, (heat in the winter and ac in the summer) ...72 degrees year round.    i do know that to achieve a job like this u do need to have a decent education.  u do need skills such as blueprint reading and basic math and english skills as well.  if ur planning on working towards a job such as that, then i would say that u would need the education behind u.  if ur just looking to work in boat yard or shipyard, then u dont need anything except to be a good welder.  unless u want to move up in that job and take on a foremans position or something like that.    i have seen MANY really good welders apply at the company where i work now and not be able to pass the entrance tests.  we are actually contractors for nasa so they do have some pretty stringent requirements.   also in a job such as this, once u are hired in, and pass all the tests, u will be exposed to many various types of welding which is great to have on your record.  right now i currently have certifications in plasma arc welding, stir friction welding, automatic mechanized welding, as well as all sorts of manual certs too.  also, in a job such as this....u really do learn more about weld theory and welding engineering and metal properties  rather than just burning a rod.  its all in what your goals are.              hope this helped some.