What are my chances?

admin

First off lets set the scene, I'm a 20 yr old Apprentice welder from England. I Work on Agricultural vehicles in a workshop (roughly 30ft long with a hydraulic lifting deck), welding/fabricating all areas of the vehicle from the box to the chassis. By the end of my apprenticeship i will be competent in MIG and TIG welding (with a NVQ Level 2 Qualification), using tools standard to fabrication such as Grinders, Disk cutters, guiltiness, presses, ban saws etc etc.i Will have a good understanding of hydraulic systems and electrical as well as the ability to read/create drawings. When qualified i will be earning around £10 per hour.Basically i was wondering With these skills and experience what kind of jobs will be available to me? I'm really looking to be earning around £40k+ per year. From my understanding the best ways of doing this is gaining a job as a offshore welder or pipeline welder? would any of these jobs be a possibility for me? if so what are the best ways to go about this, if not then are there any other lucrative welding jobs i may be able to consider?Also in terms of location it appears there are far more welding opportunities in the USA. Would i be able to find a job in the USA while living in England or would i have to move out there first then start looking? Do i even have the right to work in the USA as a British national? lolThanks for Reading Ben
Reply:Immigration rules are going to be changed here in Canada.  Finally they realized that they have too many taxi drivers with offshore degrees.  I would expect you will see the points system change in the next year or two since we have a clear majority conservative government.   When you have your trades papers you might investigate the possibility of moving.  There are many job openings for welders.  You would have to upgrade for pipeline or offshore work.  Keep in mind that for every ten welders working at various jobs there are only 2 or 3 that actually do pressure vessel work.  I suggest looking at several government websites for guidelines on immigration and you can search employment listings in each country.  Check the listings regularly for a year and you will get a feeling for what is out there.  Now is the time to think about things like moving... when you are young.