Fabrication and Welding Apprenticeships

Fabrication and welding apprenticeships are often required in schools before students can earn a certificate or diploma. Most companies hire new graduates as long as they have obtained some real work experience through apprenticeships. Learning through hands-on experience is important because the theories you learn in class can now be applied by doing it for real.

Benefits of Fabrication and Welding Apprenticeships

1. Earn while learning – Although the salary may be entry-level, it is still a plus that apprenticeships are paid.


2. Learn from the experts – To understand how things are done in a real-world setting, learning from professionals who have been fabricating and welding metals for years can be an eye-opening experience.


3. Flexible schedules – Since apprenticeships are not considered as full-time jobs, you may ask for flexible hours to cater to your studies while completing the apprenticeship.


4. Chance to land a job – Most companies that offer apprenticeship programs do so in hopes of finding amazing employers. Most of the time, these companies hire welders and metal fabricators from their own program, since they’ve already invested time with the apprentice.

Things You’ll Learn with the Program

• How to handle metals – You’ll be able to sever or join metals, while using machines, welding parts and tools, or fabrication equipment to build metal parts for manufacturing and construction industries. You’ll learn how to prep metals and perform various kinds of finishing.


• Which welding process to use – Since each metal type, shape or size requires different processes for welding, it is important that you understand how to fuse them properly without compromising the metal pieces. You’ll also learn how to perform electric arc welding, gas welding, and resistance welding, among other welding techniques.


• Reading and developing written materials– As a welder, you should be able to use the knowledge you learned about reading and developing blueprints, layouts or other written documents. Fabrication and welding apprenticeships offer future welders a chance to do it on their own for real projects, whether it may be for smaller projects like making pipes, to bigger ones like building bridges or vehicle parts.


• Troubleshooting ¬– In some cases, you will be taught how to clean, spot defects or find errors in blueprints.


• Specialization – Some fabrication and welding apprenticeships may focus on a special type of welding or only one kind of metal, such as cast iron or die cast metal.

Working on the Field: What to Expect

Apprentices attend the program at least 40 hours a week, some even require overtime particularly when meeting quotas or project deadlines. The job involves working in different environments, from the desk creating blueprints to the workshop handling metal parts. Some may be assigned to work indoors for project production, but may also be given some hours working on construction sites.

In companies which offer services on the field, their apprentice may be required to travel to and from client locations. The apprenticeship program also entails physical labor, since some equipment weigh more than 20 kilos. Health risks from toxics, gases and other hazardous materials may be present, so make sure to follow safety guidelines.

The great thing about these apprenticeships is that welders and metal fabricators are always in demand, so the chance of being absorbed by the company as a full-time employee is high.

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