What quaifications?

[blakep82]

Hi, I've been welding for years on my own projects, and using this site for info.
coming from a big ship building area (at least it used to be) when I was leaving school, I wanted to train as a welder by doing an apprenticeship. unfortunately I didn't, and i've been trying to fix that ever since.
I've applied for all the apprenticeships I can find, but i suspect my age is going against me. I've applied for college to try and get the qualifications I need, but i suspect the course i've just started isn't quite the right one to start on. many of the guys on the course are already welders...

To be qualified as a welder, and be able to go and work as a welder somewhere, what qualifications do you actually nee. I'm in Scotland, so I guess some things are different (we have SVQ's instead of NVQ's i think, there's others too)

i'm totally lost on what i need to do i don't understand college qualifications and stuff, I just want to work in a good job that I enjoy...

and i know this will open a can of worms, but what does 'time served' REALLY mean?!

boring first thread, but i hope someone can point me in the right direction!
cheers!
Blake

 

[Rrunnach]

Hi, I've been welding for years on my own projects, and using this site for info.
coming from a big ship building area (at least it used to be) when I was leaving school, I wanted to train as a welder by doing an apprenticeship. unfortunately I didn't, and i've been trying to fix that ever since.
I've applied for all the apprenticeships I can find, but i suspect my age is going against me. I've applied for college to try and get the qualifications I need, but i suspect the course i've just started isn't quite the right one to start on. many of the guys on the course are already welders...

To be qualified as a welder, and be able to go and work as a welder somewhere, what qualifications do you actually nee. I'm in Scotland, so I guess some things are different (we have SVQ's instead of NVQ's i think, there's others too)

i'm totally lost on what i need to do i don't understand college qualifications and stuff, I just want to work in a good job that I enjoy...

boring first thread, but i hope someone can point me in the right direction!
cheers!
Blake

Hiya Blake,

First of all, you don't state your age, but there is funding available for mature learners, problem is though, you require an employer to take you on.

SVQ's. Again, and for example, if you do an EAL level two/three, this is a VQ, you do have to be employed to stand any chance to complete, more so for level three, as this is normally all workbase, pathway chosen to suit your working environ.

Take a look at this link http://www.niggskillsacademy.com/ maybe possibilities here, away from home though and, I hear there are teething problems up there?

Best of luck, I feel your frustration, mate!

Ps, 82 = 30, possible?

Pps, just checked link, over subscribed by applicants, site is locked. Try phoning?

 

[ChrisJohnsSculpture]

I would say that there are a few distinct catagories.

General welding courses, if good, can be a good way to either get started of round of what you've taught yourself as long as they have a strong practical element. It's good quality feedback on your actual welds which is the most valuable thing. The theory of industrial welding can be learnt from a book, of which there are plenty.

Actual industrial experience is the most valuable thing in getting a job. However most entry-level production welding jobs aren't highly paid and don't necessarily offer much in the way of training or progression.

The mid range is more likely to be small companies or self-employment which will probably involve general fabrication and engineering as well as just welding.

The high end stuff where there is certainly money to be made generally requires a good amount of proper experience and there is a bit of a catch 22 situation there. Where certifications are required they are often quite specific to a particular industry or even a specific job. There is certainly no quick or easy route to big highly paid welding jobs.

I would say that a general college course is probably a good place to start, but you will also probably need a fair bit of extra curricular time to get yourself to a good basic standard. If you can get to a stage where you can demonstrate that you can do decent welds on a variety of jobs plus extra skills like the ability to interpret drawings, cut and fit stock etc then it puts you in a good position to get into general fabrication.

Self employment can be a good route but you do need a broad range of skills as you are likely to need to take all kinds of odd jobs and of course there is a fair bit of investment in kit required.

'Time served' really comes down to having the experience to get a job done with the minimum of fuss, solving problems as they arise and a professional attitude to quality and deadlines.

 

[Rrunnach]

Blake,

Have a peruse around EAL website, this will give you a better understanding of how VQ qualifications work http://www.eal.org.uk/

You ask what "time served really means".

It means an individual has been apprenticed for say, four year, within this period, attend college on a day release basis, sometimes two days and, if a decent laddie, will complete with either C&G or MA (modern apprentice) certificate, latter being more popular, certainly in Scotland.

What does this all mean? Well, a lad who has completed four year app, with out attending college, will obviously not have the relevant certs, a lad who has achieved, will of course have the relevant certs, which, in my book, if looking for an employee, will take on certificate applicant. Same for welding, if an applicant has been coded at sometime during his/her career, safe to assume they are a better option if involved in quality welding work.

The above said tho, lots of lads out there, who's only cert is a birth cert, are/can be very good hands!!

Hope this helps?

 

[blakep82]

thank you guys! a lot of things to read there (if anyone else sees this, please keep posting more info!)
There's a few ship yards here still, thats what got me into welding, and its somewhere i want to work, if only just for a few years to have been part of it. then after that I'd be quite happy working in general fabrication and welding. I'd be happy with anything from welding up skips, fire escapes, trailers, whatever. If i'm going to do something, i want to know i'm doing it right!
an apprenticeship would be my preferred choice, someone was telling me they know a guy, aged 56, applied for BAE as an apprentice and got it. thats promising to me! however, if i don't get in on an apprenticeship (again... ) i'd really be needing to try another way, such as college.

with an apprenticeship, you go, you do what you're told to do, go where you're told to go, you can't go far wrong.

college though, there's NC's, HNC's, HND's (which all seem to be mostly useless as far as i can tell) and SVQ 2, which I think is the one to start with (i've not read the links posted yet btw, will do that tomorrow!) but yes you can only complete it through employment. by this, it seems the only real way to get qualified by an apprenticeship? its all to much for my head to handle...

I applied for an HNC in welding and fabrication and got on it, great i thought. its only 10% practical and the rest in the class room. this doesn't seem right to me, and to top it off, the rest of the guys are already welders of varying experience, and the lecturer asked if i was time served?

as for applying work, i see loads of adverts saying must have completed an apprenticeship, or be time served, so i thought there was a difference.
I can't understand how people can change careers in their 30's. i've never had a career, just a string of crap jobs i've never liked. time to sort it!

yep, nearly 30, and you're right, you don't tell them, but there comes a time that its quite obvious to them i'm not 16 any more! lol

thank you both for your help so far! any more people got any advice, please keep it coming!

 

[piman]

Hello Blake,

time served means you have done an apprenticeship, i.e. served your time as an apprentice.

Alec