5 Things Welding Schools DONT Want You to Know!

#weldingschool #rigwelder #welding
About 8 years ago I was at a cross roads. Go to welding school, or keep learning in the field. I researched for months on end, called welding school after welding school trying to get information. I asked about courses, what they would teach me, how much It cost and of course. Everything extra I wanted to learn was more money, by the time I had gotten a idea of the school I wanted to go to and the cost I was completely turned off by the whole thing. Forget learning to fabricate at most of these places! They simply didn’t offer it! So I kept on learning in the field. Was this correct choice? I’ll never know. But I’m debt free and make a decent living.

[shawnlindquist]

I have more hr on my machine using it as a generator so true 1/3 weld 2/3 weld

[strayedarticle]

I went to welding school after about 15 years in carpentery. My first job in a fab shop, I was immediately recognized as the best cutman/fitter, and they almost never wanted me to weld. I guess the moral of my story is, don't be too good at the things you dont want to do all the time.

[rarebeagle]

I went to Lincoln electric welding school 12 years ago. AMAZING school. 80% weld time. 20% class. I came out with 5 certs and can weld better than most people i work with. You can make 20 a hour just welding. I learned to fit/machine . That is where the money is at. I make 70-80k a year working 4 10 hour shifts a week barley working hard at all. Working on breaking out in to my own thing like meltin metal.

[Peter-V_]

I have been hired several times as a certified welder, next thing I know I doing layout, fitting and fixturing 95% of the time and maybe 5% welding, the response from the company, "we can get welders all day but layout, fitter and fixture guys are hard to find", your video is on point for sure Anthony.

[williamthomas]

You’re absolutely correct, sir. It never ceases to amaze me how many people think that when I show up on a job, I just fall out the truck and weld. As if everything is already cleaned, fitted and clamped together 🤦🏻‍♂️! I always say and have probably said here, “There’s very little welding to the welding business”.

[norevlimit]

100% correct! Fitting, measuring etc. is so important. This applies to anyone getting into welding - I am just a hobby welder and I could not believe the ratio of time spent measuring and cutting and fitting … figuring out angles. Keep up the great content. I bet you have save more than few folks some time and headache.

[clay]

I did 3 year apprenticeship in Alberta. 8 weeks of school a year which wasn’t too bad but all they teach you is welding 6” plates together in different positions so you do learn to run a bead but 90% of what you actually learn is at work. A lot of guys are lost after school cause they can’t fab and fit. Totally agree with Anthony.

[MikeP]

I got my associates degree in welding for free thanks to grant money. We learned all the different processes, plate and pipe tests in all positions, math, fabrication, metallurgy, machining, blueprint reading etc... even got my first welding job through the school. I do wish they taught us more fabrication skills though. Once I started working in a large fab shop building huge projects I had to learn alot on the job. I don't regret going to welding school though.

[michaelhovanec]

Totally agree. I was fortunate that the local community College was also an AWS test facility and offered not just welding of all types but metallurgy, how to read blue prints, welding symbols, contractor law, and spent time on codes in the class, then hours under the hood. Had to learn how to measure stuff, cut and create per a specific plan set. Great way to supplement skills I already had

[Nakadori.qcow]

I went to a community college for a year, as like a career and technical education thing last year in high school. The instructors were maybe 5 years older than me, (I'm 17) and I never really picked up much from them. I learned how to lay a mig weld down, i learned how to lay a TIG bead down. That's about all I learned. They made it seem like they were the best, and the end all be all. Well, this summer, I decided to go and intern at the local fabrication shop. Within a week, I had learned more than I ever had at welding school. I was put into the Heavy Fab department, and spent a month getting used to it. I got exponentially better at TIG welding, good enough that they moved me from Heavy Fab over to what we call "The Die Side" (Just TIG fab and die welding department), they let me do some little odds and ins, and then they told me "Hey kid, we see it in you, we like the way you work, what do you think about being trained to be a die welder?" Of course, I happily accepted, and now I'm working on alloys that most people have never even heard of, and learning more and more every day. Moral of the story, even if you're young, sometimes welding school isn't the best way to get into it. Often times these younger instructors show up, and they'll let just about anyone teach, and it wont always be the best way to learn, because their only concern is taking your money and filling seats. After experiencing both sides, honestly if you wanna learn, go to a fabrication shop, that way you're gonna learn what to do and when, how to fabricate and repair, and get that hood time with people that actually know what they're doing and will teach you the right way.

[johnzudans]

Anthony, I’m in full agreement with you on this subject. I teach welding at Project Lift a school for boys and girls at risk. I’m a volunteer I do not get paid. I tell my students that welding skill is just a tool necessary for completing any metal fabrication job. I also tell them that there are many skills such as math, geometry that must be learned in order to become a good Welder. It’s amazing to me how many kids today do not know how to turn a wrench or how basic tools work, but our society has made that happen with all the computer technology out there and the lack of interest in the trades. I guess that is why your profession is becoming a great place to be and why I am encouraging all my students to pursue a career in welding/fabrication. Thanks for the show and have a great day!

[diegomarquez]

I sent my 18yr old son this video, he's on his way to a comm-college and enroll in the welding curriculum. I have personally told him similar concepts you mentioned here and I agree. Hopefully he watches it and grasps the concept. Thank you for sharing.

[bfmchalfdead]

Couldn’t agree more with everything you said. Went to a night class for welding with welding experience already, I basically did it for tests an codes all were free with the teacher being an AWS CWI so that was worth the money. Then did an apprenticeship with the pipe fitters here an learned more in a month than I ever have. Def got a subscriber after this one

[mcfwelding]

Well said. Couldn't agree more. I took a few small votec classes for a year then I went and got real field experience working as a helper and now I'm in a great career. Most of what I learned was on the job and in the field!

[ashesashes]

i’m in welding school right now watching this and it gave me depression. luv ur vids Anthony!

[silviacerritos]

as a former student i totally agree with this video, i’ve graduated a while back and it’s been a journey even after …got to the point where i’m having to battle the gitters …seeing my hands shake because of not having the confidence / knowledge to be out in the field … but i’m not giving up …. going to seek all the knowledge i can … i just pray for the opportunities and patience along the road. GUYS DO YOUR HW i paid a tuition to know the basics

[Tomatotomaydo]

I love u Dana Carvey, WAYNES WORLD, , WAYNES WORLD... bro ur speaking the truth man, I respect u so much I truly do and admire and thank u so much for all ur help, and for free and it's the realest talk I ever seen on all welding YouTube channels.... Fr fr thank u sir. 🏆

[TexasKid]

Robert Oppenheimer reportedly said, "A college degree is merely a license to learn." (paraphrased from an old memory) Once you get a degree (or welding certification) you then have to start the "real-world" learning process. Oppenheimer led the Manhatten Project to create atomic weapons, where many super-smart scientists had to create the next level of knowledge. Cheers from Texas!

[dokgameplay]

I live in Denmark, i took the education you would call a "welder", but here we learn alot of stuff, we get to do MIG - TIG - Electrode and oxy cutting. we allso learned how to fabricate, from using simple handtools to cnc pressbrakes and cutters. we basicly get to be "Fabricator, fitter and welder". This education took 4 years, not to mention it was free, with a salary the whole time. it would be 10 months in our "company" and 2 months in school, learning new stuff, more and more advanced every time. We allso learned how to do the "certified" weldtest, just so we were ready for them, would we ever need them.

[FishFind]

My buddy went to a county college that had a welding program. They taught all the processes and how to get your certs. When you finish you get a associates degree. It’s not a bad setup they have.