Question for professional welders

[doodah man]

Hi all,

My wife is considering taking welding certification course at a local technical school. She's done some torch-and-rod welding in the past (art classes) and enjoyed it. She's detail oriented, crafty and tough, so I'm sure she'd be able to handle the job. What are the work prospects are for female welders? We're in Philadelphia if that makes a difference.

Thanks.

 

[Oldbear]

Like most trades, she will have to be that much better then the men around her. ***** but is true. We have two female welders in a shop of 65 employees (around 24 are welders) and one of them is in the top five of our welders - she does all the aluminum - which many here don't have the hand or talent for.

 

[kv501]

We have 5 female welders out of roughly 45 in our plant. 3 have been there more than ten years; the others I don't know since moving to accounting 6 years ago. One thing I can say about or business is that we don't care about anything other than reliable attendance and welding talent. Let me emphasize reliable attendance. Located in NW Iowa.

 

[Lynch3811]

Doodah Man if you find a class could you post what you come up with. Im also in the philly area and want to learn how to weld.

 

[doodah man]

Here's a couple links to programs that she's looking at:

http://www.ittinstitute.org/

http://www.dccc.edu/courses/wld

The ITTI says they provide free job placement and the course is only 3 months long. I'm not sure how long the DCCC courses would take.

 

[DonnyT]

According to the numbers I have seen, there is a shortage of welders. I think she will do just fine if she has all the required certs.

 

[Oldbear]

We have 5 female welders out of roughly 45 in our plant. 3 have been there more than ten years; the others I don't know since moving to accounting 6 years ago. One thing I can say about or business is that we don't care about anything other than reliable attendance and welding talent. Let me emphasize reliable attendance. Located in NW Iowa.

We don't favor male/female either. Reliable attendance is a must, and the ability to square things...

 

[steel 35]

I took a metal art class last year, and the Instructor told me that his best student and welder that semester in his real job as a welding instructor was a girl, she was there to learn and not grab ***.......

 

[jrsulo]

Flashdance !!!!!!!!

 

[OldracerJones]

I ran a combustion repair shop for 10 years in Houston and have had many female welders. Most have a very good hand and strong attention to detail. If she comes to work regularly and works she will be fine.

 

[1948]

all of the welding/fab shops that ive worked at didnt give one hoot about certs. all they wanted to see was your welds. you go in, they find some scrap metal, and they plop it down in front of you and tell you to tack and weld it together. they look at it, and then they either tell you youre hired, or they will call you later. one other thing they want to know, is if you can read a tape measure down to the 32nds! you must know decimal to fraction conversions, and it also helps if you can do machine work sometimes too. she must have no issues running large cutting machines too because you arent always welding sometimes you gotta get material ready. she will have to know how to read blueprints, so she will need to pick up a welding book with the different symbols in it. she will also need to know how to assemble things and make them straight, and how to spread her heat out so it doesnt warp. so i guess she could take a class, or she could checkout a book and read it and practice A TON.

 

[LutzTD]

Im taking an evening welding class right now. The full time student leave when we arrive. Looks like 10% are female. Its funny because they all look organized and like they are all busines. About 10% of the rest of the guys look as if they are as serious.

 

[01ssreda4]

School and certs mean **** honestly. Weld quality/ability is everything. My last job paid for my certs after they hired me. I had to bare wire a 5" sch 40 pipe, one root, and 5 caps. That's what got me in then they set up whatever else they wanted me to have.

 

[DonnyT]

all of the welding/fab shops that ive worked at didnt give one hoot about certs. all they wanted to see was your welds. you go in, they find some scrap metal, and they plop it down in front of you and tell you to tack and weld it together. they look at it, and then they either tell you youre hired, or they will call you later. one other thing they want to know, is if you can read a tape measure down to the 32nds! you must know decimal to fraction conversions, and it also helps if you can do machine work sometimes too. she must have no issues running large cutting machines too because you arent always welding sometimes you gotta get material ready. she will have to know how to read blueprints, so she will need to pick up a welding book with the different symbols in it. she will also need to know how to assemble things and make them straight, and how to spread her heat out so it doesnt warp. so i guess she could take a class, or she could checkout a book and read it and practice A TON.

In the construction industry, "No certs, NO WORK"