If you’ve ever driven across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge that connects Philadelphia to Camden, N.J., or taken in a Pittsburgh Steelers game at Heinz Field, you can thank welders, whose work is essential to completing the tasks necessary to create those structures. Welding is the act of fusing metal parts using heat, creating a permanent bond. A wide range of products and the majority of buildings and bridges built in the U.S. involve some kind of welding.
In addition to manufacturing, welders also perform repair and maintenance work. And lots of high-profile companies hire welders, such as NASA, NASCAR, and even Walt Disney World.
If you’re looking for a new career, welding could be the perfect job for you. If you like working with your hands, prefer not sitting behind a desk all day, enjoy the variety of working on different locations, and like building things, then welding is a great career.
“Welding is a good choice for someone who has an aptitude for math, an understanding of the basics of science, and a desire for a career implementing hard work, pride and success,” says Scott Deeter, welding program director at All-State Career’s Pittsburgh, Pa. campus. “The ideal welding student has motivation and a willingness to learn something challenging.”
Deeter says personality traits of a good welder include ethics, honesty, and the ability to work as part of a group, as well as work independently.
The welding technician program at All-State Career Schools can take less than a year to complete. Deeter says students have to be willing to take instruction and receive feedback, have the ability to read and digest information, and work at each process until the goal is achieved.
“We live in a society that allows for instant results for many things,” says Deeter. “This type of training requires something different. A student needs to enter training with the realization that learning welding is something that is broad as well as diverse and requires repetition and dedication. Some of the skills will take time to master. Each employer is looking for good folks that have these things, but they also need a person with a level of patience, promptness, and willingness to grow in a direction that suits their employer as well as themselves.”
If welding sounds like something you’d love to do, All-State Career can put you on the path. We offer welding programs offered at our Essington and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania campuses. Click here for more information or call us today at (855) 834-4580 and speak to one of our admissions representatives.