what to ask before you pick a welding school

welding school is a great way to break into the trade. BUT... they all say (and most likely think) they are the best and have salesmen to convince you. here are just a few things to ask before you decide who to give your money to:

1 how much hood time (class room time does not count)?
2 how long is the program? 2 years is too long, unless...
3 welding varies by region where do you want to start your career?

when we hit 100 subs, we are doing a giant sticker giveaway

[arcturusbbqsausagemaking]

As a retired welder fabricator of 32 yrs This guys not talking shit, my first welding job out of welding school was a really good shop They built skilifts they weren't hiring welders but they were hiring laborers so I went in as a laborer just to get my foot in the door grinding loading saws drilling ect, a big job came in the shit hit the fan they were hiring welders I asked to take a welding test BOOM!! my pay went up $8 bucks hour more, my point is if there's a job you know is worth getting into sometimes you have to eat a little shit !! I worked in that place For 25 yrs and Fabricated & welded some awesome Skilifts !!

[mt.doomer]

Hell yea man. Just found your channel and I dig your straight forward no bullshit attitude! subscribed. I have about 18 weeks left in welding school and have been wondering what the career is really like, so you are doing me a hugh service documenting all your knowledge. Keep up the good work!

[christiangonzalez]

If you're trying to be a welder listen to this guy. He's speaking truth. I dropped out of high school and went to trade school for welding and ended up actually dropping out of there because I was learning to slow. Now I'm certified in multiple processes in multiple positions. If you can get a job take it. Real world experience trumps school experience any day of the week

[kingsol]

I was already working as a welder, but the job sent me back to school to get the D1.1. it's really about the experience you have. weld until it's second nature 👍

[BaLLGamr]

I'm in a welding school in North Dakota I have 3 years of high school welding experience which I loved and just finished my first semester of college welding and I love it even more! Im passing as many certifications as I can but ever since high school welding I got introduced to TIG and I absolutely love it I'm always watching fabrication videos and in general love the TIG welding process. I'm also learning how to weld on aluminum using TIG. Aluminum welding isn't really a process we cover it's more of something we can try on our spare time and trying to keep up with the normal schedule is a tad difficult because we have 3 hour of under the hood weld training and 1 hour of class time. I'm not to sure what kind of jobs that are out there for aluminum welding still learning and still burning up weld rod and wire as much as I can!

[legalsolutions]

Good advice for those looking at welding school. At 7:25 I actually thought you rolled your truck : )

[emmanuelsalinas]

I wish someone would've talked some sense into me before I got ripped off by Lincoln Tech.

[davebarton]

about to finish Lincoln electrics weld school in Cleveland Ohio. enjoyed my time there and this guys right keep the hood down and weld tons of information in that place loved my time there

[dakotaraker]

I haven't watched them all in fact I just discovered your Channel a couple days ago but so far I really like your videos. I'm a junior in high school right now and I'm planning on going to trade school for some sort of pipe lining or fabrication skill set but your videos have encouraged me to really want to dive in to this career as quick as I can. Right now I'm only taking my Second year of shop class but I definitely want to do whatever I can to learn. so keep the videos coming!

[iwboomer]

I teach welding/fabrication at a community college. I think one year is enough. You can do a two year program, but you won't make twice as much. I give my students as much arc time as possible. If I have lecture, I keep the classroom time short, 20 minutes, max. Industry wants to see some metal fabrication knowledge, print reading knowledge, multi process experience and a real understanding of what 'Job Professionalism' is all about. In addition, I try to keep my students in a 'block schedule' format, where I have them for 20 to 25 hours per week.

I have seen programs that have you doing SMAW Monday and Wednesday, and GMAW Tuesday and Thursday. Or they have ONE DAY a week of a single process. This is stupid, stupid, stupid. I have it set up where we do all one process, do an AWS certification test (we are an ATF), then we move on to the next process. We weld, weld, weld. If your school isn't offering this, then you are likely getting cheated.

[hardstyle]

Great advice... I'm at Simi Valley Adult School in weld program. Open from 8am-9pm all hood time in the shop (can come and go as you want). Zero classroom time (zero book learning). Year waiting list so sounds like I'm at a good spot after hearing your advice. "10 hrs with hood down." Your videos are classic... Straight to the point.

[kennyatkin]

hey i am 15 and still in highschool but i am taking the welding program at Butte College Ca i am half way done with the program. This has made me think about the welding careers. I get about 15hrs a week for a year, its not very much but it is the 2nd highest graded welding program in nor cal, i am getting to meet the number 1 welders in Cali.

I just wanted to say thanks for this, it has made me think more about becoming a welder and i still have many years ahead to learn and get more hood time... Thanks brother for the info!!!!

[justinanderson]

yea u r right about the schools in louisiana. well at least the school i went to. 2 weeks in the books. learned not a damn thang. staight to stick machine to stack beads. then tjoint and open root plates. then short arc tjoint and open root plate "root fill and cap short arc". flux core tjoint then back to stick for pipe. witch u had visual test only on the cap, and 4 one inch coupon bind test. dropped out when i got to tig aluminum. but time under the hood helped me alot with the tig. AWSOME VIDEOS MAN just wanted to throw that out there

[BigBadWolfyAZ]

Good advice. Especially that part where you said not to expect great pay straight outta school. My first welding job, in a small shop in Central AZ, started me at 14 bucks. RJ01 says he got 15 at his first welding job, also a shop in Central AZ. Also, good advice is when you said not waste time with partying. I agree, save that for the weekend and be sober on Monday morn- each morning of the work week.

Anywho, me and RJ01 are open to answering welding related questions.

[williamdobbins]

I went to NVOC in Los Angeles. first thing the instructor asked, was what my end goal was. Ironworker, Pipeline, what am I looking to do. No reason to waste time (why school, when you can work?) teaching I beams to a pipe welder. I'm a factory production mechanic and electrician. I need TIG, MIG, and plasma. One year, part time. Now getting 6 figure income in a union plant.

[Nefu]

Can't thank you enough for this! And thank you for responding!

[alancall]

Keepin it real love your videos you're absolutely right you definitely need a Hood time

[mcpheonixx]

Dude you are so right. One thing I would like to add. Don't be shocked if your new employers require you to weld in a way contrary to what you were taught. If they require some strange technique then do it. Arguing with a foreman is a good way to get your ass fired. Safety is one thing but techniques can and are dictated by the employer.

[cwcadventures]

Took a 2 month course with 7 people in it. All's we did was weld on rusty scrap. Then one day a new teacher came in said everyone is taking a aws cert test today if you pass cool if you don't sorry. Not to many of those 7 students pursued welding work after class. I did structural fabrication in a small shop. Alot of stick welding for a shop. But trying my hand as a millwright cause the moneys a little better

[critternuttle]

I did two years of metal shop a year of votech welding and six months at TWS before I felt good enough to make pay welding..Some people are just naturally better than others and can pick up the bulk of welding quickly, I would suggest shop class for the kids, if they have a shop class to take and heavy on the stick too!!..Im still lacking 20 years later because I prefered tigging aluminum and .55 fluxcore on heavy steel..