What Are the Qualifications to Be a Skilled Welder?

So, you want to be a welder in a shipyard? What do you need to bring to the table to be considered a qualified and skilled welder a company would want to hire? While you will have some education and practical experience under your belt, what else are most shipyards looking for to help them hire only the very best? Here are a few qualifications you should bring to the table to be considered a skilled welder.

Post-Secondary Training

Post–secondary training is education past high school, and in most cases, it’ll be learning welding through a trade school. Check out the opportunities in your community to attend welding classes through technical colleges or other classes.

Certification

While the exact requirements will vary from place to place, it’s always a good idea to move forward with a certification process to demonstrate your credentials to an employer. Several organizations, like the American Welding Society, can offer certifications for welders. Even through the AWS, there are multiple certifications, so check out what makes the most sense for your career path.

Math Skills

An important aspect of welding you might not consider is math skill. In this article, we discussed the various aspects of math that affect your welding experience. From decimals and fractions to sines, cosines, and tangents, you’ll need to have a comfort level with algebra, geometry and more.

Knowledge of Tools

Welding also involves a lot of equipment. Besides the machine you’ll need for welding, you will need other tools such as a grinder or metal file. And the kind of equipment you’ll need may vary based on the specific type of welding you’re doing.

Attention to Safety

Lastly, welders and anyone else who works in a shipyard has to make safety a top priority. For welders, you’re working with high heat and need to be aware of the risk of fire or other related dangers. Wearing the proper safety gear is only the first step to ensuring that you’re safe on the job.