Wanting to be a welder

[Ryan Feeley]

Hi, so as the title says I want to be a welder. I have level 1 peo, level 2 peo and a level 3 NVQ in mechanical engineering so I know how to weld and I am qualified but I don't have any time served. Just wondering if there was any possibility of me becoming a welder?

 

[Kent]

That's rubbish. Too many come under the banner. I haven't an in date code to my name now and command more than that not that I frankly give ome about working for anyone else. I won't be doing any more subbing to like firms, too old and too grumpy to put up with the bs now

But no frankly I shouldn't bother, if I read your post correctly you have just done college no work. The first question you will get asked is where did you do your time? Sorry to be negative but experience counts far more now they give quals out for cash

 

[Ryan Feeley]

That's rubbish. Too many come under the banner. I haven't an in date code to my name now and command more than that not that I frankly give ome about working for anyone else. I won't be doing any more subbing to like firms, too old and too grumpy to put up with the bs now

But no frankly I shouldn't bother, if I read your post correctly you have just done college no work. The first question you will get asked is where did you do your time? Sorry to be negative but experience counts far more now they give quals out for cash

So do you not see any point in pursuing an engineering career?

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Get sending letters out to companies chasing an apprenticeship. Welding isn't what it once was though, pay is crap for the work you do and at the end of the day, to put it mildly, you're killing yourself slowly with the crap you spend your days ingesting

 

[WorkshopChris]

I think nowadays to be earning good money from welding it needs to be part of a another process, product or skill that set's you apart and earns you the money.

In this area i often see production welding jobs paying the same moneys as supermarket or shop work.

 

[owas]

Im on about 26/7kish after tax as a coded mig welder ... but i work everyday most weeks to end up with that.
Not ideal really

 

[Ryan Feeley]

What would you guys say would be the best career to go for. I'm 21 and currently work in a manufacturing company but on the bespoke/assembly section. They have sheet metal, folders welders and joiners

 

[Ryan Feeley]

Looks like the chances of me getting a decent paid job are low

 

[Rig Pig]

Mechanical is the way to go, without us the sparks have nothing to play with !

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Looks like the chances of me getting a decent paid job are low

Go back to school, get better qualms on paper. It's what I've done at 28. I love fabrication and welding but was sick to death of working my chuff off and making myself ill so the boss could go home early if he felt like a pint , and still come out with not a whole lot at the end of it

 

[eSCHEn]

I posted this the other day else where. I'd be very wary at becoming a welder, I certainly wouldn't persue the path I'm currently in.

Jesus Brad that is depressing when I input my profession and compare against my wage

 

[eSCHEn]

Sad thing is that that's the same metric for mine. I just have a low paid job.

 

[Kent]

Plumbing still a fair bit of money in that

No its not heating engineers perhaps (at present) plumbers don't even work with much other than plastic compression fittings now and the pay reflects the fact

 

[Kent]

What would you guys say would be the best career to go for. I'm 21 and currently work in a manufacturing company but on the bespoke/assembly section. They have sheet metal, folders welders and joiners

Become the boss or one of them. Take training qualifications, management, sales just get closer to the money

 

[Revs1972]

What would you guys say would be the best career to go for. I'm 21 and currently work in a manufacturing company but on the bespoke/assembly section. They have sheet metal, folders welders and joiners

I think what ever you go for, you need to have realistic expectations.
You will need to start pretty much at the bottom if you go elsewhere.
What opportunities are there for you at your current company ?
Have you spoke to anyone there about your future ?
Down here in Devon, you would be lucky to break the £10 an hour barrier , working as a welder / fabricator , working for a company. We had a fair amount of work on up in London , and I can remember the boys being fed up , as the bloke who stood on the gate was paid more than them.
I've worked for a number of companies in the SW and it's pretty much all the same. A welder / fabricator makes a half decent wage by doing 10-15 hours overtime a week.

What are your thoughts on steel erection ? A half decent erector with all the tickets can get a decent rate. If you are a coded welder too, then that can help.
Only drawback (for some) , is that you are living in digs a lot of the time, and can be away for a lot of the time.

 

[Richard.]

Well I say you need to start somewhere and learning to weld and becoming a welder is a good a place as any.
I started as a welder fabrator building big automated cladding systems. It was all heavy mig for structural and Tig for all the aluminium/stainless intricate tubular work. We would then go on to site and install them and use them too and I loved it. Travelled the world and done just about every welding process about.
I kept at it and worked my way up to site operations manager. in that time I got my CSWIP 3.1/3.2 and mma(111 3G) 6-12 rooting and fill codings. I left that job and got involved with welding tech support/training/application engineering with the company I'm with now. I earn a lot more than those figures brad has put up but i started out as a welder.
At 21 years of age you could defo be a welder. Just go in with a goal in mind. Work hard ask questions get trained and aim to go up.
You could be a welding inspector, welding engineer, dr of metallurgy etc etc but all these top positions will all require you to know how to weld. So I say go for it. Be a welder and progress.