15 year wants to be coded?

[BRODTuning]

First off,hi everyone.
My names Brad and im 15, i want to be coded and was wondering what the next step for me would be after school? Im currently in college 1 day a week ,ive done body repair and im now doing mechanics. I work at my grandads welding and fabrication shop in ALL of my holidays. I cam mig stick and just finding my feet with tig i would like to be coded in all 3 and gas welding too. If i were to become coded in the above ,what job opourtunities are there? What do they include? and whats the general rate of pay?
much thanks for reading
Brad.

 

[ronan]

Job ops ? Hardly any , rates of pay ? Less then you'd get stacking shelves in tesco. Metalwork is fine as a hobby but there are better ways of making a living now, for the time and effort i have put in to getting a trade and coded with night courses etc i am sorry i didn't do something in computers or finance or something.

 

[matt1978]

Hi Brad,

You can still earn good money being a skilled welder, but admittadly the jobs are few and far between unless you are prepared to travel.

Being 'coded' isn't some magic paper that automatically will allow you to earn lots of money. Its only a type of certificate that says you reached a certain standard of welding on one particular joint.

If your serious about doing 'proper' welding (think powerstations, pipelines, nuclear etc) then your better off trying to get a apprentiship with one of the big specialist companies, such as Babcocks and others.

If you don't want to do that, you could welding and fabrication at a local college and then look to become self employed or work with your Grandad. Money is still there to be earned, but its no way as easy as it used to be. Try and be a bit specialised. Think more of Stainless and Aluminium because lots of general fabricators still shy a way from this because its a little more trickey that normal steel fabrications.

Good luck with what ever you decide.

 

[BRODTuning]

Thank you both! If i do choose a weldign career ,i would want to be doing aly and stainless work! that is what i enjoy.
I will look into things and have a think ,cheers both

 

[BRODTuning]

Minimum age?

HI,i does anyone know what the minimum age to be coded is? I would like to do it asap! . Is it a good idea to take a basic evening welding college course while still in my last year of school ? just so i have something if not much on paper? before i am coded.
many thanks

 

[Wozzaaah]

Brad, read Matt's reply...properly.
You're missing the whole point of what coding actually is, Matt's explained it for you.

 

[Wozzaaah]

Have a read through this for a bit more insight from someone else who seems to know his stuff.

 

[BRODTuning]

Hi mate ,i did and have re-read matts reply. I fully understand that coding doesnt make you special nor does it get you jobs just because of it . But imo i need something on paper.
My old man for example ,hes worked in the ductwork/ventilation game for 25years as a fitter and has a brilliant reputation and earns good money but the one thing he doesnt have is something on paper as ventilation wasnt a trade when he was up and coming so to speak and because of this he hasnt been able to do such things as move abroad permanently! . A bit of information about me...Ive 95% decided on a career in the welding game, i have yet to choose which path to take, i very much enjoy bespoke/custom and unusual stainless /ally work/ food grade stainless pipe work and its something i really considering ,what path would i take to get into this? and what ''paper'' is relevant? Another path i thought of and been thinking about is offshore welding,not underwater but maintenance welding on rigs etc. but that is something i know very little about.
cheeRS for the reply!

 

[Wozzaaah]

Click that link I posted...it'll open your eyes....especially when you get to the bit that says a coding can cost about £1000.

 

[BRODTuning]

Funny you should post that link!!! i read right through that earlier and have it favourite'd haha i had a good read and took in as much as i can. From what i understand for a basic code for light steel structure work ,nothing too critical i would need BS 4872 for critical structures etc. i would need BS EN 287 & BS EN 9606 & ASME IX but if im not mistaken the ASME IX is the american equivalent to BS EN 287 ? please correct me if im wrong? thanks for the info mate!
Brad.

 

[BRODTuning]

Click that link I posted...it'll open your eyes....especially when you get to the bit that says a coding can cost about £1000.

Yes mate im already aware of the price it costs but imo if it influences my career in a good way ,its worth it! i will just have to make sacrifices and work hard hoping one day it will all pay off

 

[Wozzaaah]

I'm really not clued up on what codes relate to what, I just know that being 'coded' doesn't make you an all-singing-all-dancing super-welder.
I think you need to walk before you run, do college courses to get a basic qualification so you have a better chance of getting the right job then let your employer sort out (and pay for ) any codings you require.

For the sort of stuff you're looking to do I'm not sure you'd need 'coding' though if it's food-grade stuff then you might need a specific qualification.
TigPaul would know about that side of things as that's what he does.

I genuinely wish you all the best in your career choice, I wish I'd been as keen as you when I was 15.

 

[BRODTuning]

I'm really not clued up on what codes relate to what, I just know that being 'coded' doesn't make you an all-singing-all-dancing super-welder.
I think you need to walk before you run, do college courses to get a basic qualification so you have a better chance of getting the right job then let your employer sort out (and pay for ) any codings you require.

For the sort of stuff you're looking to do I'm not sure you'd need 'coding' though if it's food-grade stuff then you might need a specific qualification.
TigPaul would know about that side of things as that's what he does.

I genuinely wish you all the best in your career choice, I wish I'd been as keen as you when I was 15.

Thank you for the info mate ,im very keen ,as said working my holidays doign any overtime i can . I can mig and stick weld and i can Tig but that needs some improvement which will hopefully be done soon once i get this fusion phf 200 repaired! The thing is with me ,i dont want to waste time! i want to get whatever basic courses i can done now! and as i well know ,being coded doesnt make you a welding god ,but it is paper ,which is what this country seem to thrive on these days (aswell as tax) . I really need to decide what route to take ,the company my old man works for fabricate stainless pipe for food grade stuff! so there could be a good opourtunity there as my dad is quite friendly with them,im really just trying to aim high and make money but then arent most of us?
i also wish you all the best mate!

 

[the snooper]

got to say ive read brad's posts and he seems an intellegent guy for a 15 yr old his writing and wording are very fluent, i think he has his head screwed on knows what he wants to do and should go for it

ronan on the other hand has obviously had a bad experience with it, i think in any industry if you want to earn top rates you have to make it happen rarely does it fall at you feet.

speaking of falling at your feet a nice lotto win would do me

 

[BRODTuning]

got to say ive read brad's posts and he seems an intellegent guy for a 15 yr old his writing and wording are very fluent, i think he has his head screwed on knows what he wants to do and should go for it:

Kind word that are very much appreciated,i want to aim high but aim realisticly at the same time! i may try and do a week or two ummm lets call it work experience with the company my old man works for ,see what the crack is and see how i like it ,that should give me a base to go off ,in the mean time ,ill keep thinking up plans and melting the metal practice practice practice ,im determined and im going to make it happen

 

[Wozzaaah]

I'm going to sound like I'm trying to talk you out of it but I'm most definitely not, just trying to help you make decisions that will benefit you and your pocket rather than be a waste of your time and money.

A few reasons I can see why obtaining a coding before starting a job isn't a good idea;
a) some if not all expire and have to be done yearly so you may spend good money on a coding but not get a job in time so the certificate is worthless.
b) the coding you get will say you've performed a certain procedure to a standard but your prospective employer may not even be involved in that field so your coding will be worthless to him. (A sheet metal shop will have no need for a coded pipe welder etc.)
c) even if the coding hasn't expired and is relevant to the job, without working in the appropriate field will you have had enough real-world experience to still be able to perform whichever procedure you qualified in to the same standard when starting work?

If there's an opportunity of work experience with your dad then I'd say take it, there's a good chance it may lead to a full-time job and they'll probably send you (and pay for it) to college. Win-win situation.

 

[ronan]

got to say ive read brad's posts and he seems an intellegent guy for a 15 yr old his writing and wording are very fluent, i think he has his head screwed on knows what he wants to do and should go for it

ronan on the other hand has obviously had a bad experience with it, i think in any industry if you want to earn top rates you have to make it happen rarely does it fall at you feet.

speaking of falling at your feet a nice lotto win would do me

No i haven't had a bad experience with engineering , just being realistic , but if this young man has his bonce screwed on right he'd be better off doing a degree in design or engineering or something and get coded doing welding
courses at night, the problem welders,plumbers,fitters etc had in ireland was the influx of workers from eastern europe , they were and are excellent tradesmen but would work for around a tenner an hour. Why would an employer pay an eastern european a tenner and a native twice that ? Ain't gonna happen.
Anyway being a welder is only half the job , fabrication is the other half and is probabily more interesting.
I have seen many people put far less work into getting a profession or trade and get far more out of it, my sister for instance did a couple of evening courses in book keeping and accounts over two years , she got a job in a major engineering firm here earning a lot more then the tradesmen who had to put in four years doing an apprenticeship and then night courses to get the qualifications.

 

[hotrodder]

As said college/apprenticeship is the place to start. Codings will come later and aren't worth worrying about until/if you need them- codings alone won't cut it ('time served' or x years experience is a common requirement regardless of codings held) and they don't guarentee better pay...

Just done a quick google for 'coded welding jobs' and aerospace welding jobs, majority were in the ballpark of £9 - £11/hour, pretty much all the higher paying ones were short term contracts with the highest paying often being advertised with a Ltd rate like this one for example... http://www.westmidlandsjobsonline.com/detail/i-374669/aerospace-welder-jobs-in-wolverhampton
The last welding/fabrication job i applied for (and we're talking a good 5 or 6 years ago!) payed more than most of those, didn't need codings and the weld test for this job... a downhand butt weld on 2mm ally sat at a table, no bend tests or tensile pulls just a visual! Another aerospace job ad here, look at what they were asking for £27K... Granted that job interview from 5+ years ago was in London but the basic salary offered for that one was around £24k for similar hours IIRC

A bit more on the welding qualifications already mentioned here... http://www.gowelding.com/wp/index.htm If aerospace appealed then there's an outline on welder approval buried in this huge pdf... http://www.soton.ac.uk/~jps7/D8%20website/CAP553.pdf, expand/double click on 'sub-section A8 approvals' and then select chapter A8-10.

 

[BRODTuning]

OK ,left me with plenty of reading and plenty to think about. Ive had a word with my dad and another welder fabricator and they have said the place my dad works for is a pig,the fitting side of things is great! and the bosses are great but if your a fabricator in the workshop ,it is a horrible job ,all to do with the foreman! But i wont go into that.
Also having a word with another fabricator (theres more than 3 welding/fab shops within a 5 min walk local) about what i want to do etc. and he has said stainless is the way to go in his opinion,He has also said to me that an apprenticeship is basically the next step,he then mentioned a brilliant workshop just up the road! they do near enough all stainless work! and he said they have all the top kit and machinery! including extraction which he made a big point about and he also said that they are all good guys and its a nice place to work. Ive know this bloke for aslong as i can remember and his words are ,your like your dad go up there and have a word with them and ask for an apprenticeship, implying i can basically turn my hand to anything with quality results which was a nice compliment. So im going to finish these next few weeks work in my holidays and get some tig practice in! im then going to approach them and have a word with them and see what i can do,might be a good idea to take this fabricator with me as i think he knows them and he could put in a good word, things are looking up

 

[gavuk]

If you are serious about knocking on a door and asking for an apprenticeship don't waste any time ,go this week ,college will start early sept,if you are successful they will need time to get you on a course......My lads have no interest in engineering ...and I've told them there are easier ways of making money ,my father was a welder I'm a fitter who welds at work and as a hobby,I want better for my kids....Manufacturing is in serious decline in this country,remember the grocery manager at Tesco is probably making more money than most of us welders,fitters and fabricators ,and not working half as hard ........Having said all that ,I can't see me ever changing ,I like being" hands on " ...so that limits my earning potential,if i go for promotion I would do less "hands on",,,, the higher up the ladder the less I would do ....If i haven't put you off,go knocking on doors leave no stone unturned,its only 4 years and you can always change when you've completed your training.....good luck
edit:Just realised you prob have another year at school?.....I left before my 16 birthday as my birthday is in August ,I was one of the youngest in my school year ....so i was nearly 16 when I started my apprenticeship....