Career advice for a welder - offshore/shutdowns/contracting

[Bloozy]

I’ll start with some background info:

29yo, been welding 3/4 years and just started contracting after going to college and working my way up payscales at several different companies. I know that’s not long but I pick it up fast and have been welding to UT X-ray standards for a lot of that.

Didn’t “serve my time” as a welder as I served it in something else before I switched careers.

Now have my own 5F and 6G certs for 135/136, C&G level 1-3 in mig welding and a CSCS card

Looking to expand my horizons a bit and get some more 9606 certs to work shutdowns or offshore as I’d like to work more for shorter durations and have more time off.

So what welding processes would typically be required? I’m guessing combo TIG/stick? Shutdowns seem to want TIG atm but is that typical? And what about offshore?

Obv need my bosiet etc for offshore which I know about and ccnsg for shutdowns.

 

[chrismac]

Good luck, its getting in thats the issue, I have mates who are desperate to get away from offshore, they are starting to panic a little about their jobs now, (they have been there over 10 years working) massive pay offs currently after I think it was Apache pulled out of the North Sea,

 

[Bloozy]

Good luck, its getting in that the issue, I have mates who are desperate to get away from offshore, they are starting to panic a little about their jobs now, (they have been there over 10 years working) massive pay offs currently after I think it was Apache pulled out of the North Sea,

I’m in with a company atm who sub out people offshore and a few have managed to get 5 weeks here and there, I’m not after a permanent rotation just something between contracts. Even vessel work, wouldn’t have to be oil/gas

 

[fizzy]

I would be wary of offshore the way Miliband is going.
Nuclear is really starting to pick up now. Rolls Royce and Sizewell always looking for good welders I think.

Look at some of the jobs sites - often have contract and full term work.

https://uk.indeed.com/q-welder-l-sizewell-jobs.html?vjk=dac74779a87a20a3&advn=316454664143183

 

[Nomad]

Hi, I have no trade links for welding (it's a hobby for me not a job) but many types of jobs are advertised on Linked-In (a quick look shows a few "Offshore Welder" jobs advertised - some are around the North East but it's unclear if that's where the job is based or if it's where their main office / recruitment is based)..
https://uk.linkedin.com/jobs/offshore-welder-jobs?position=1&pageNum=0

 

[addjunkie]

I worked offshore for almost 30 years, but Im not a welder. The days of the train station at newcastle being lined with loads of guys doing regular 2 and 2 are long gone. Long hook ups were a license to print money, but are a thing of the past. Anything new arrives ready commissioned and is up and trucking quite quickly. Any big mods are pre built, and if possibly designed to be fitted cold, so welding is kept to a minimum. What is welded more often than not is done in a; offshore fab shop. Even in shutdowns as its so difficult to get things completely gas free welding is minimised, using things like epoxy wraps, or Quickflange. Short stints contracting sound great but you are basically always looking for work. With Apache pulling out thats 7 platforms of-the old vintage probably going to be decommissioned, youve not made it in oil and gas unless youve done a stint in the South Truss on one of the Forties platforms. Vessel work is an option but cant imagine it will pay well.

A and P Tyne were looking for folk. If I were looking to progress welding wise in the northeast Id be looking at the subsea outfits around Blyth, IHC, Enshore there area few others if you do your research, or going down the Nuc route.

 

[Bloozy]

Don’t mind always looking for work tbh, there are places in the NE that can give me work for decent rates for a few months at at time, I just want to try and fill gaps with shutdowns and the odd offshore trip. engenda & wood have a few shutdowns this year for me and I’d only need 3/4 in a year to cover me money wise. But they won’t tell me the process for the weld tests so I’ve got to guess what to train for! I’ve worked at a&p and never again I’ll just leave it at that, but I’m currently working up Blyth so good advice! Haha

I worked offshore for almost 30 years, but Im not a welder. The days of the train station at newcastle being lined with loads of guys doing regular 2 and 2 are long gone. Long hook ups were a license to print money, but are a thing of the past. Anything new arrives ready commissioned and is up and trucking quite quickly. Any big mods are pre built, and if possibly designed to be fitted cold, so welding is kept to a minimum. What is welded more often than not is done in a; offshore fab shop. Even in shutdowns as its so difficult to get things completely gas free welding is minimised, using things like epoxy wraps, or Quickflange. Short stints contracting sound great but you are basically always looking for work. With Apache pulling out thats 7 platforms of-the old vintage probably going to be decommissioned, youve not made it in oil and gas unless youve done a stint in the South Truss on one of the Forties platforms. Vessel work is an option but cant imagine it will pay well.

A and P Tyne were looking for folk. If I were looking to progress welding wise in the northeast Id be looking at the subsea outfits around Blyth, IHC, Enshore there area few others if you do your research, or going down the Nuc route.

 

[Bloozy]

I would be wary of offshore the way Miliband is going.
Nuclear is really starting to pick up now. Rolls Royce and Sizewell always looking for good welders I think.

Look at some of the jobs sites - often have contract and full term work.

https://uk.indeed.com/q-welder-l-sizewell-jobs.html?vjk=dac74779a87a20a3&advn=316454664143183

Yeah Hinckley is an option for me but it’s still a bit too much constant time away from home, I’m trying to work it so I can work 5/6 months a year (sounds impossible I know).

Some shutdowns I’ve been in for are paying 3k week for 7/12s for 5 weeks so it’s doable but I need to know their weld tests

 

[Brad93]

Offshore is dead in the water, mostly decommissioning now and it's a first in last out kind of gig.

When wages went down to £24/hour for welders offshore, it was only the overtime that was worth the risk and wear & tear on your body. All them stairs and ladders are well known to kill blokes knees well before retirement age.

 

[addjunkie]

Offshore is dead in the water, mostly decommissioning now and it's a first in last out kind of gig.

When wages went down to £24/hour for welders offshore, it was only the overtime that was worth the risk and wear & tear on your body. All them stairs and ladders are well known to kill blokes knees well before retirement age.

Offshore /Oil and gas is fairly buoyant overseas, but you need the skills and experience they are looking for, welding/ pipefitting arent among them as they can recruit those skills from far cheaper locations. Its just over 7 years since I decided not to go prostituting myself anymore, and I still get the odd call.

Wear and tear on the knees with lots of stairs and walking on steel decks with cheap boots isn't good for you I agree, but welders dont do a great lot, a part from sit in tea shops moaning about the good old days and telling the world how good they are. Jobs are priced on 5 productive hours per day, the rest of a 12 hour shift is filled with paper work and being audited by bored folk trying to tick their HSE boxes daily.

As for risk, a lot of it is perceived and exaggerated by folk that dont really understand what is really going on around them, apart from choppers going swimming. The biggest risks are “process safety” related and many of the folk out there couldn't even give you a rudimentary explanation of what it is.

The other thing which I find bizzare in the oil industry and many others….its over certificated and they expect you to keep all your tickets upto date which is blooming expensive. And they wonder why they struggle to getfolk back after a down turn!