I agree with Jay on this one -- getting a 4-year degree from a university isn't the path for everyone. Some people don't *want* to sit behind a desk at a computer all day. (I chose the sit-behind-a-desk path for my career, but that's just *my* personal preference.) Why have physical hands-on skills been demeaned by the "elite" in this country? We *need* welders, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, etc., etc -- they BUILD and FIX the things that make our technological world WORK!! Without them, we're living in the STONE AGES! You definitely do *not* need a 4-year university degree to be successful. All you need is a GOOD, MARKETABLE SKILL and a GOOD WORK ETHIC, and you will ALWAYS be successful.
That isn't always the case. I'm an ASE mechanic. Every garage around tells me they are full, or cant afford me. Garages can hire non certified mechanics for example, pay them less and keep more money in shop.
As a welder from canada,it's about time someone got this message out! two of my stepsons are now welders and thank me every day for getting them interested
I'm a member of AWS and was Vice Chair 1 in my local chapter while I was in school getting my certs. It really is a great and fulfilling career for anyone who enjoys working with their hands. Nothing like looking at what you've welded/built at the end of the day to give you that sense of accomplishment. Thank you Jay for using your reach to get the word out more. WE NEED MORE WELDERS!
linglingjr It was not that long ago when young people going through the school system would graduate High School with enough skills to get a job in a trade,metal shop,wood shop,electronics,print shop,even plastics and drafting all were taught. Finding young people with an interest in the Skilled Trades is a real problem,and as a Machinist of some 35+ years I know first hand this issue. True Artisans and Craftsmen are becoming a dying breed,versus button pushers and computer experts. The Hobbyist is often a retired person of the trades who now ply's his or her craft for the joy of doing so. As a society I believe we are losing the appreciation for the artistic skill of the hand crafted workpiece,instead mass production has brought much acceptance of mediocrity .
FlyerKraig all the highschools in my area had a program for engineering and manufacturing. I can weld, and fabricate any thing that I've wanted to and it's a lot of fun. I absolutely couldn't get a good job with the skills that I learned, but all of the students that graduate from there get pushed like cattle into an associates program at the local community college and then straight to boeing for manufacturing. There are a few DIYers that do awesome work on different forums. Some are teens some are older but they do amazing work... from walnut stocks/ ar furniture and crazy replica airsoft guns built from scratch to headphone stands made in every design and material you could ever think of. I haven't been alive long enough to see that it's a dying breed (which is sad) but I know they're still out there. I don't know how I'll manage to get access to a lathe/mill or shop in the future but there are always 10+ projects I'd love to be working on in my spare time if I had the resources outside of a school setting.
what are earth are you talking about? Arts and Crafts and tech skills is BOOMING. Havent you heard of TECHSHOP, and HACKERSPACE? look up Make and MAKERFAIRE. /
Is the exception the rule? There are some colleges with conventional machining programs,very few at the middle and High school levels,things have changed from where it once was.Whats booming is the C.N.C. programming and engineering,this is not what the video or most of other posters are talking about.Artistry and craftsmanship are not simply programmed in...and i've been programming cnc machines for 25 years,without the conventional background its almost impossible to achieve. Trade schools may teach this,however once upon a time apprenticeship programs by most employer's were offered,and one became a "Journeyman" after 5 years,then a "Master" in 10 years.
I did my graduate research in welding with one of the top researchers/professors in welding!! it is a very cool field and I agree that there are not enough people who are skilled welders in the US.
I've been reading around as much as I can on welding and I live near a college that has structural classes and additional classes and all that stuff. I actually want to eventually go through them all. I'm wondering if those classes are just PART of what one would do or all the skills I'd need to look skilled enough for hire. How are so many people not skilled enough? Do they not get more certifications or what?
Terra Jade The problem is that kids/people now a days do not aspire to do skilled labor. They want to sit in an office and do nothing to make their living. I actually had my experience in welding while getting my masters in engineering. So we were working on new automatic welding robots. But there is serious need for welders out there and you can make some VERY good money. Also, it is a pretty cool job. I am sure you have to get some kind of certification from the american welding society. Probably also a few years in school. There are also many different types of welding and many applications.
amaroudis I love crafting and I think I would really enjoy welding. I'm really hoping to get an apprenticeship after my certifications. I love working and I don't like to sit around and do nothing and I know these days that may be hard to find. That's one reason why I'm so different from my generation but I can only hope someone will want me to work for their company.
I'm starting in the welding course at my local jc in january after a lengthy layoff in my previous field. This could be the greatest move I've ever made or it could set me back even more. Either way I'm excited about taking the risk.
I'm a 4th generation carpenter. (Finish carpenter) and I do custom wood work. I make a good living doing what I love. I'm only 24 and I have a degree in architecture. So I design and also build everything I make. People usually look down on me because what I do for a living involves using my hands. I don't see many people my age doing skilled labor work...
Skilled labor work isn't valued as much as it used to. It has become a niche market. I bought an everlast welder last year and hope to make some nice ornamental iron pieces. I have customers lined up but that certainly isn't the case everywhere. Many people in many places just want to buy the cheapest thing they can get their hands on.
A Message for Jay Leno...Welding today is awesome and forever part of the day we live. An airplane, boats, a bridge, cars, electrical-fixture boxes, metal-furniture, power-line poles, and infrastructure in our America is built in the "Trades." T J (Tom) Vanderloop, AWS Member
i am a welder. i am 18. i make 16 a hour. Got to work strait out of high school to get out of the parents place. the work is not easy, it takes allot of practice, i build boilers. I do not like, but i grit my teeth and do it. However, why i do not like it you may ask? I work 60 hours a week. usually 1 day off (sunday). I work 6am to 530pm monday-friday and 6am to 12pm or 2 pm on saturday depending on the amount of work needing to be done. you get 1 15 minute break at 9am, a 30 minute lunch at 12pm, and 1 15 minute lunch at 3pm. Mind you i am 18. I usually need to be in bed at 9pm otherwise work will be rough tommorrow, so you need sleep...so break it down. be home at 6pm. take a shower, eat something, wash your work cloths, do any necessary chores (dishes, cleaning the apartment, trash, ect...) approx 1 hour and 15 minutes to finish those tasks. so i get about 7:15pm to 9pm. yep. thats right. 1 hour and 45 minutes to get anything else done (buy groceries, play a game, talk to a friend, god forbid get any college homework done, spend some time with your girlfriend or wife, any hobby you may have) 1 hour and 45 minutes a day (and your exhausted at the end of the day). HOW THE HELL CAN ANYBODY ENJOY LIFE AT ALL WITH SO LITTLE TIME. I am 18, i want to play some video games, i want to be with my girlfriend (whom lives with me) and build a strong relationship, i wake up at 5:00am everyday so i can be more so awake at work so i dont screw up my welds, they are xrayed and ultrasounded, so no room for errors, I kiss her goodbye while she is still asleep at 5:40am everyday, i do not get to spend time with her during the day and she works usually 10am to 5pm 5 days a week, by the time i get off im tired, filthy, and just want to sleep, but i try to squeez any energy i have left to be with her because she means so much to me, she is the only thing keeping me at any sort of happiness right now because i have no time for anything else . I do not get to play any game consoles, or be with any friends, or have time for college (which i am trying so hard to save for so i do not drown myself in student debt), by the time you are off all the banks are closed, any utility places are closed, it doesnt help matters. That is my life. That is a young 18 year old welders life. I HAVE NO TIME FOR ANY THING. NO TIME TO ENJOY YOUTH. But i have some money, more than allot of 18 year olds, i do not have to worry about not being able to afford bills, yes, money, its a security, i have financial security. At what cost though? I really put effort into my work because im looking at 20, 30, 60 years in the future, where do i want to be? Im still unsure as to what i want to go to college for, i didnt have the luxry of college right after highschool like allot of kids whos parents have financial security, you know? lucky them. I plan on doing the same thing for m children one day, i want to give them everything i didnt have. I am planning on it. 1 bead at a time with perfect tied ends, i am clawing my way up. At the cost of my own precious time and health, im doing it. But that is the life of a young welder jay.
TheTacoSupreme good read. so, two years later, hows it going for you now? did you continue welding, continue college? im 18 right now and will enroll this fall to ny community college to get a degree in advanced manufacturing so reading this was very interesting.
In Febuary of 2015, I and about 1/5 of everybody that worked for the company lost their job due to two major boiler projects being cancelled. Since then I have taken a new route (losing the job was a good thing, it opened my eyes to the fact that a welders job is never permanent and requires alot of relocation to sustain constant employment). So here is what happened: I got a job as a sales rep selling boats for a major outdoor retailer, literally down the street from the boiler place, (this pays the bills and then some and allows me much more time and flexibility in my schedule). I am 21 now, I did enroll into a local community college, and I am a sophmore in a mechanical engineering degree averaging a 3.4gpa (math and chemistry hit me like a rock, but i'm a quick learner). I am still with my girlfriend and we can actually do things together with the time I have (which, granted, is still very little due to full time employment and full time student). Here is the funny thing: The boiler place I was working at as a welder, well, on the 7th of Febuary (6 days from now) (exactly 2 years after I lost the welding job, ironically) I have a lunch interview with the director of engineering for that same company to discuss an engineering internship. Fingers crossed.
TheTacoSupreme wow. best of luck to you then. I feel like this is something i want to get into, but thats because im not sure what i want to do. hopefully itll work for the both us
Alberta Canada. I watched a welder make $3800 in one hour. Came to the drilling rig, welded on a casing bowl, fixed several things around the rig. Gone. So... you still want to be a history major?
I work with an architectural welder that got laid off and could not find work. He went back to school and now he's a nurse. I love welding. There's just something about fusing two metals together that's badass. Well ventilated area with the proper PPE and you'll be fine. There is always that inherent danger with high voltages and molten metal but that's half the fun. I worked in a steal mill and did work for inhouse use. In the summer it would hover around 96 degrees in the coolest parts of the plant. Sometimes I would go without the leather bib for fear of heat stroke. You feel it when you get that rogue spark go down your shirt or a piece of slag drop in your boot. Is there jobs in welding? Not in my area. The stigma behind male nurses is a thing of the past. It's still a field dominated by women. But as a male nurse you get preferential treatment. Men don't complain as much as women. It's a great field to be in as a man. But I'd rather be welding and making good money to do it.
Thanks for the vid Jay. Lincoln Electric is a fine American company that treats its employees well and has an excellent reputation across the world for tough,reliable machines and consumables.
Come on, it's not that bad, but you do have to be in UV resistant dense fabric clothes and wear gloves, or you can get a burn, and room should be well ventilated, because welding fumes are toxic and can cause asthma and cancer, there's always risk of electrocution.
funky3ddy oh thanks funky. i needed to know that (sarcasm) great. now im going to be thinking of cancer at work in the morning when i'm breathing in the 25% carbon 75%argon gas mixture we use for flux core. and the metal dust from the slag.
i went through that trailer at the 2014 ffa national convention and after that ive taken alot of interest in welding and that is what ill be working towards in my future career
I'm probably too old to do it now, but I wish I had been introduced to welding as a career when I was younger. The thing I've seen about welders vs. many of the other professions listed below was that welders are generally happy. Satisfaction and a sense of completion with their jobs - something that is harder to come by with a few other jobs - leads to a happier life overall. And that are all types of welding that can't be, or just won't be, robotized. Mass production will be done by robots, but all one has to do is to look around them for all the lower production military, race, construction, etc. projects going on that will use welders. My favorite would be welding as a job and as an art form; this isn't 'performance art,' but instead welds and projects that get used - hard- but that have really artistic welds to look at. For example, ZTFab's welds throughout this thread: weldingweb.com/showthread.php?30845-Mig-like-Tig/page6
I'm 20 work with a security company then on Monday's and Wednesday's I go to welding and I'm still learning how to weld but I wish I could just do that it sucks going to work at a security company around 8 and getting off whenever the job is done sometimes I'm late for welding and I don't feel like welding at all but I wish I could just weld I would enjoy it a lot more. I already love it can't wait to see what happens in the future
The master welder is looking a little flabbergasted 5:19 I love welding and can see how this virtual method could be very useful at getting youngsters involved.
I am in school for anthropology but after resewrching how many jobs there are and starting pay ive realized that i should look into the trades for a job, and then later on do anthropology for fun. I took a metalworking class in college and loved it so I presume welding is the best trade for me. Looking to start the certificate program at my local community college this summer. Metal and fire? Count me in. Lets see how well i do.
Welding today is so important to the American Culture. You can work anywhere in the world with basic welding skills and the ability to read "Welding Drawings" and construct standard structural metal-members of a print. Welding Engineering Technology at Ferris State & other schools offer 2-Year & 4-Year welding programs. Just do it! T J (Tom) Vanderloop, Author, Manufacturing Consultant & Technical Instructor, AWS & SME Member
Good on you, Jay Leno. I agree with you. There should be more school and classes in metal shaping, welding, and all things to do with cars. Thanks for the video, we need more like it. ~Peter Tommasini
I don't know what to believe anymore. in 2011 I graduated from welding course, that was a year long, with 10 welding certifications, the most in my class, verified by x-ray and I couldn't get one job in the field. they ALL said that they wanted someone with experience :/ I love welding and would do it for 8-10 hours straight, but nobody would hire me from space x to Lockheed martin to the federal government on down...
If you can weld Pipe, you can weld anything. At our Stainless project we have an average of 8-10 welders show up daily to test and 80% are failing. So many think they can do it but so few actually can
I agree. There's plenty of jobs in North America, and particularly in the USA. There's just not enough skilled people who live in this country. There are not enough people who live in the USA who are willing to work.
Jason Carpp Believe it. Look around your house and take notes, what's made in China, Indonesia, Japan, etc and what's made in the good ol' US of A. It's cheaper to make things and have them shipped to our country. Parts, salary, taxes and shipping still makes it worth while to outsource work and bring it in for sales. I'm assuming you havent called your cellphone company lately? AT&T has their phone reps in the Phillippines. Apple has its headquarters out in Europe to avoid US taxes. Toyota just closed shop in California and sent about 2000 jobs to Texas. I could only imagine the next step would be leaving the country. A few years back I I met a woman that worked training the call center reps for Direct TV. Her job had her travel around the country for a few weeks training people. Just before I lost touch with her they sent her to Monterrey, in Mexico, to train workers out there. It's true there aren't enough skilled workers in our country, but in some cases companies require more then what's actually needed to get the job done. I'm actually looking towards getting a second job right now since my girlfriend of 6 years and I have begun talking about making it official and living together. One of our options, believe it or not, is moving to Brazil. She was born out there and has the hook ups to be an English teacher. They pay your health insurance, your monthly travel expense (public transportation), they give you a monthly wage for groceries on top of your regular salary and i believe paid sick days. In other words, not only are our jobs leaving but the need to train people is going with those jobs.
Well I am actually I have been learning welding myself and most likely will be learning it professionally and actually the fumes are not a problem if you have good ventilation and you can almost guarantee a job right out of college
The audio seemed a little on the low side, I could barely make out what was all said. I plan to enroll at Santa Ana College in their welding program for the Spring semester. I'll be sure to check out that website for more details about that scholarship. Thanks for the video.
According to salary.com, the US national average annual income for a senior welder is $49,300. If that figure is correct, I can see why young adults out of high school aren't lining up to apply for these jobs. You can get some IT certifications in a few months and start making those figures working an entry level helpdesk position or as a network administrator.
Except that a welder is never going to be forced to work 15 hour days 6 days a week with zero overtime. That's the reality of tech and I work in a place where tech people are some of the best paid on the planet.
It's annoying how some people make things about money. Yes I'd love to make enough money but I usually go for what I think I'll like. I'm a crafty person and I'd probably love welding. I'm considering it.
I think that you'd like the oxygen acetyline the most. that's what feels the most involved to me. or maybe brazing? you might like that to. Tungsten inert gas, metal inert gas, and arc welding are all more fast paced
There is a *HUGE* misconception about "welders needed" There are thousands of out of jobless welders out there because places only want to hire people with "2 years experience" Well It's hard to get 2 years experience when you can't get a job without 2 years experience. They don't mean 2 years as in school experience either they mean on the job experience. You could go to school for 8 years for welding and still not have a job. It's ridiculous. The AWS posted an older 2 minute clip of Jay promoting welding yesterday on facebook. I was wondering why.
I forgot to mention they won't even let you take a welding test if you don't have 2 years experience. Some places won't even interview you. So basically you have to lie on your resume. I haven't yet but I am to the point I might as well.
Miles Papineau I got through school and started seeing a recurring theme with recruiters. They all had the same story and looked like they were in their 60s but were barely in their 40s. I decided my health was worth more than the money I could make welding unfortunately. But I still learned an awesome skill and have something I can fall back on so I'm glad I did it.
thanks for the response. Recruiters were all experienced welders? How'd you find out there actual age. Thats wise even if you didnt go into it. youll never be out of work.
Miles Papineau I don't know if all of them are but the 4 companies I saw were. They all had the same story as in "I graduated school in 19xx and started working for ____ in 19xx-200x I worked my way up and now I'm doing this" which to me sounded like "I wore myself out so they moved me here before I couldn't work at all." hopefully that makes sense. Some of the recruiters gave their age others I just based off what year the graduated.
Jay, What a great video for High School students! If you ever get a chance to do another video about careers using waterjets, 3D printers, solidworks, etc. it certainly would be shown in High School classes and career centers. Thanks for the support from a High School Career and Technical Education teacher. Shop teacher : )
No matter the training, most graduate of welding training, still need many hours of reps on stuff that's not an airplane wing to truly grasp what's going on with multi pass welding. Thankfully my shop has a quarry near by.
I started my career as a skilled craftsman doing marble, tile and wood flooring. I had some of my work published in Architectural Digest and won a Builders Exchange award for fine craftsmanship. Now I work on computers for a living doing computer aided drafting and design. I make more money, have better benefits, can sleep without pain in my knees and ankles and I don't have to breath in all the silica sand and sawdust. I disagree with Jay's view on computer jobs although I'm proud of my trade work If I had a do over I would have focused on a computer based career from the start.
I've been welding about 14 years now, unfortunately I can't get a job doing it thanks to having scoliosis and Kyphosis of the spine, it makes me a liability as far as the insurance is concerned.
I'm just coming out of a major slipped disk in my spine (too young to operate on so i gotta bare the pain) however i'm only 21. I want too do automotive welding.. do you think i'd have trouble getting into the career?
warfl4g pretty much, mine is I just have issues twisting and can't carry anything above 50 lbs so the shop insurance won't allow me to work, I have times when I'm walking around and take a normal step and my vertebrae move around.
warfl4g It depends. You'll handle working for custom car shops, where the atmosphere is relaxed, you can take your time, you don't have to rush anywhere, you work on a few cars at a time. But you'll definitely have trouble working in the heavy industry, where you have to weld non-stop 5 days a week in all yoga poses :))
funky3ddy the thing is I was told I'm not even an option because the insurance company would throw a fit because you pose a safety risk as someone that'd easily be hurt. Not many people have the option to work in the custom auto or bike world, yet if they have insurance as they have to, you will probably hear the same thing I did.. Hence why I am trying to figure out how to work from home. Problem is it takes money to make money.
J.A.Ratt85 Have you tried contacting associations fighting for the rights of persons with disabilities? I'm sure there must be companies willing to hire disabled people.
The only catch to this I believe is that most higher paying welding jobs require travel to somewhere else. If you’re married with kids who really wants to do that? Also the keyword is “skilled” because anyone can be taught to dab on a part with a weld that doesn’t have to be pretty. A skilled welder takes quite a bit of time and many job opportunities state “2-3 years experience.” If you’re new trying to break into welding well you’re already out because you lack experience.
That is so true. woman do make very good welders. My daughter can weld . she has a certificate from car one. her welds look like they where finish with a file. but she is a artist first.
Some careers are mass-production factory based stuff, some place do more bespoke stuff. As for payment, over here I can apply for a job that's £8-12 an hour for 40 hours a week. Which is about $12-20. Most welding, from what I know, is labour intensive. Grinding stuff, preparing, positioning, welding and then getting assessed.
It is good to see people helping each other out for once. Someone should make a organized forum/website strictly for job positions. It would help out many people who are underpaid.
nice work! are you still in the trade? enjoying it? Do you think it takes a toll on health? employed by a union or large company or constantly fulfilling contracts with no pension in site? thanks a lot
Not only are there not enough skilled workers there are not enough places to go to get trained. I can get a welding job here in Omaha - if I have several years of experience. So this truck would be a great place to get started. I wait for the day when a company can go to a college and say we need so many people in this field can you train them. The school says yes we can aand so people will have a job when they get out of college.
Don't forget, the moment you graduate there's a "temporary" foreign worker (who will come into the country and work on contract for 1/3 the pay) there to snatch up whatever job you might have had. Welding or otherwise. The issue isn't jobs or the desire to take said jobs, but a continual erosion of the workforce by bureaucrats and big business colluding to undermine said workforce. And that goes for all jobs, not just welding. Further, the issue with people from the boomer generation is that they fail to realize the system in place now. Which pits against young people who have continually attempted to educate themselves (at high cost) to attain better jobs. But those jobs are now outsourced and offshored or dealt with in some way to reduce pay and overall job security regardless of how hard you work. Boomers need to understand, what worked 30 years ago does not work today. Just because you could drop out of school in grade 10 and get a well paying job 10 years down the road after working basically anywhere, that is not the case today. Young people have to struggle harder than ever to compete with not a local workforce, but a global one. FYI I am eager to learn welding, but not as a career since i'm in a computer field.
yeah yeah we get it! but the once who accept a horrid paying job are mostly uneducated Mexicans not the once that come from europe or have great knowledge! and believe me if your employer find you as a really capable man and willing to improve don't worry your job is secured! but yes i agree for those who pay for stupidly high cost education! and most just want to study that cause they told them it has great pay but they don't like it! that's the problem we are having today people(from the us) don't have dreams and wants to do SOMETHING. and that my friend why you see successful foreign born people that HAVE SOMETHING TO ACHIEVE. remember we are all from a foreign born fathers or grand fathers!
***** I agree. The other guy said "as long as you're good, blah blah." Bullshit. Mexicans can weld just as good as we can, and like you said, for 1/3 of the pay. The boss would rather get a $10/hour raise and hire a mexican than keep you. That is what's wrong with this country. We're so busy helping foreigners in, and out, of our country that we don't take car of our own fucking citizens. Rich people will never understand because they don't have to work.
If that was the case, they would not be paying welders $200k to work in the new oil fields cropping up all over the midwest. No oil company is going to risk a production stop because someone hired a cheap welder....
ck m Funny thing that, I heard the exact opposite. Matter of fact that's where the TFW program originated from what I understand. The oil patch is really profitable but the companies there continue to want to hire TFW's because they are cheaper than hiring Canadians.
Pay is determined by the local market of what employers are willing to pay. Move to an area where demand for welders is high with a shortage of welders equals high pay. College education means nothing when employers prefer experience over education. Employers often want you to have licenses from the state which require hours of work experience to obtain them...Catch 22.
I worked in construction as a plumber and I met a lot of welders. most of them just want to retire. made me think they are doing it just for the money and they are not enjoying it. not like how most auto mechanics are so passionate about what they are doing.
I'm a welder and work on tractor trailers. Took me eleven yrs to get on basic cost of living. But great career if you want to pollute your lungs and have sensitive eyes at night time. I like weld cause I create things and it's the carpenter of metal. . But can't afford my own equipment to do the stuff I want to build. Hey kid you want to be a mechanic cause you want to drive , work on them? Well don't be stupid get a education, cause you won't be able to afford it.
I agree with Jay on this one -- getting a 4-year degree from a university isn't the path for everyone. Some people don't *want* to sit behind a desk at a computer all day. (I chose the sit-behind-a-desk path for my career, but that's just *my* personal preference.)
Why have physical hands-on skills been demeaned by the "elite" in this country? We *need* welders, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, etc., etc -- they BUILD and FIX the things that make our technological world WORK!! Without them, we're living in the STONE AGES!
You definitely do *not* need a 4-year university degree to be successful. All you need is a GOOD, MARKETABLE SKILL and a GOOD WORK ETHIC, and you will ALWAYS be successful.
That isn't always the case. I'm an ASE mechanic. Every garage around tells me they are full, or cant afford me. Garages can hire non certified mechanics for example, pay them less and keep more money in shop.
30k a year on average for welders salary before paying taxes.
Kyle G really, I guess I got lucky. I Got my AAS in welding and was able to find a 48 Grand job 😬 😎
@Kyle G maybe a entry level welder. That’s not the number for everyone no welder I know makes that little all are over 50k some even 100k
As a welder from canada,it's about time someone got this message out! two of my stepsons are now welders and thank me every day for getting them interested
I'm a member of AWS and was Vice Chair 1 in my local chapter while I was in school getting my certs. It really is a great and fulfilling career for anyone who enjoys working with their hands. Nothing like looking at what you've welded/built at the end of the day to give you that sense of accomplishment. Thank you Jay for using your reach to get the word out more. WE NEED MORE WELDERS!
Artisans and craftsmen are truly becoming a rare and elusive breed. Breaks my heart, and honestly worries me.
I disagree. There's no money in it so maybe they don't do it professionally, but there are a ton of people that build in their spare time as a hobby.
linglingjr It was not that long ago when young people going through the school system would graduate High School with enough skills to get a job in a trade,metal shop,wood shop,electronics,print shop,even plastics and drafting all were taught. Finding young people with an interest in the Skilled Trades is a real problem,and as a Machinist of some 35+ years I know first hand this issue.
True Artisans and Craftsmen are becoming a dying breed,versus button pushers and computer experts.
The Hobbyist is often a retired person of the trades who now ply's his or her craft for the joy of doing so.
As a society I believe we are losing the appreciation for the artistic skill of the hand crafted workpiece,instead mass production has brought much acceptance of mediocrity .
FlyerKraig all the highschools in my area had a program for engineering and manufacturing. I can weld, and fabricate any thing that I've wanted to and it's a lot of fun. I absolutely couldn't get a good job with the skills that I learned, but all of the students that graduate from there get pushed like cattle into an associates program at the local community college and then straight to boeing for manufacturing. There are a few DIYers that do awesome work on different forums. Some are teens some are older but they do amazing work... from walnut stocks/ ar furniture and crazy replica airsoft guns built from scratch to headphone stands made in every design and material you could ever think of. I haven't been alive long enough to see that it's a dying breed (which is sad) but I know they're still out there.
I don't know how I'll manage to get access to a lathe/mill or shop in the future but there are always 10+ projects I'd love to be working on in my spare time if I had the resources outside of a school setting.
what are earth are you talking about? Arts and Crafts and tech skills is BOOMING. Havent you heard of TECHSHOP, and HACKERSPACE? look up Make and MAKERFAIRE.
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Is the exception the rule? There are some colleges with conventional machining programs,very few at the middle and High school levels,things have changed from where it once was.Whats booming is the C.N.C. programming and engineering,this is not what the video or most of other posters are talking about.Artistry and craftsmanship are not simply programmed in...and i've been programming cnc machines for 25 years,without the conventional background its almost impossible to achieve.
Trade schools may teach this,however once upon a time apprenticeship programs by most employer's were offered,and one became a "Journeyman" after 5 years,then a "Master" in 10 years.
I am glad that someone like you is helping the younger generation by showing this, thank you
I did my graduate research in welding with one of the top researchers/professors in welding!! it is a very cool field and I agree that there are not enough people who are skilled welders in the US.
I've been reading around as much as I can on welding and I live near a college that has structural classes and additional classes and all that stuff. I actually want to eventually go through them all. I'm wondering if those classes are just PART of what one would do or all the skills I'd need to look skilled enough for hire. How are so many people not skilled enough? Do they not get more certifications or what?
Terra Jade
The problem is that kids/people now a days do not aspire to do skilled labor. They want to sit in an office and do nothing to make their living. I actually had my experience in welding while getting my masters in engineering. So we were working on new automatic welding robots. But there is serious need for welders out there and you can make some VERY good money. Also, it is a pretty cool job. I am sure you have to get some kind of certification from the american welding society. Probably also a few years in school. There are also many different types of welding and many applications.
amaroudis I love crafting and I think I would really enjoy welding. I'm really hoping to get an apprenticeship after my certifications. I love working and I don't like to sit around and do nothing and I know these days that may be hard to find. That's one reason why I'm so different from my generation but I can only hope someone will want me to work for their company.
I'm starting in the welding course at my local jc in january after a lengthy layoff in my previous field. This could be the greatest move I've ever made or it could set me back even more. Either way I'm excited about taking the risk.
Update?
Yes we want to know how you're going now
Updates
I'm a 4th generation carpenter. (Finish carpenter) and I do custom wood work. I make a good living doing what I love. I'm only 24 and I have a degree in architecture. So I design and also build everything I make. People usually look down on me because what I do for a living involves using my hands. I don't see many people my age doing skilled labor work...
Skilled labor work isn't valued as much as it used to. It has become a niche market. I bought an everlast welder last year and hope to make some nice ornamental iron pieces. I have customers lined up but that certainly isn't the case everywhere. Many people in many places just want to buy the cheapest thing they can get their hands on.
You're gonna have the last laugh when you retire 😂 keep at it I'm also 24 and looking to get into some sort of trade
A Message for Jay Leno...Welding today is awesome and forever part of the day we live. An airplane, boats, a bridge, cars, electrical-fixture boxes, metal-furniture, power-line poles, and infrastructure in our America is built in the "Trades."
T J (Tom) Vanderloop, AWS Member
i am a welder. i am 18. i make 16 a hour. Got to work strait out of high school to get out of the parents place. the work is not easy, it takes allot of practice, i build boilers. I do not like, but i grit my teeth and do it. However, why i do not like it you may ask? I work 60 hours a week. usually 1 day off (sunday). I work 6am to 530pm monday-friday and 6am to 12pm or 2 pm on saturday depending on the amount of work needing to be done. you get 1 15 minute break at 9am, a 30 minute lunch at 12pm, and 1 15 minute lunch at 3pm. Mind you i am 18. I usually need to be in bed at 9pm otherwise work will be rough tommorrow, so you need sleep...so break it down. be home at 6pm. take a shower, eat something, wash your work cloths, do any necessary chores (dishes, cleaning the apartment, trash, ect...) approx 1 hour and 15 minutes to finish those tasks. so i get about 7:15pm to 9pm. yep. thats right. 1 hour and 45 minutes to get anything else done (buy groceries, play a game, talk to a friend, god forbid get any college homework done, spend some time with your girlfriend or wife, any hobby you may have) 1 hour and 45 minutes a day (and your exhausted at the end of the day). HOW THE HELL CAN ANYBODY ENJOY LIFE AT ALL WITH SO LITTLE TIME. I am 18, i want to play some video games, i want to be with my girlfriend (whom lives with me) and build a strong relationship, i wake up at 5:00am everyday so i can be more so awake at work so i dont screw up my welds, they are xrayed and ultrasounded, so no room for errors, I kiss her goodbye while she is still asleep at 5:40am everyday, i do not get to spend time with her during the day and she works usually 10am to 5pm 5 days a week, by the time i get off im tired, filthy, and just want to sleep, but i try to squeez any energy i have left to be with her because she means so much to me, she is the only thing keeping me at any sort of happiness right now because i have no time for anything else . I do not get to play any game consoles, or be with any friends, or have time for college (which i am trying so hard to save for so i do not drown myself in student debt), by the time you are off all the banks are closed, any utility places are closed, it doesnt help matters. That is my life. That is a young 18 year old welders life. I HAVE NO TIME FOR ANY THING. NO TIME TO ENJOY YOUTH. But i have some money, more than allot of 18 year olds, i do not have to worry about not being able to afford bills, yes, money, its a security, i have financial security. At what cost though? I really put effort into my work because im looking at 20, 30, 60 years in the future, where do i want to be? Im still unsure as to what i want to go to college for, i didnt have the luxry of college right after highschool like allot of kids whos parents have financial security, you know? lucky them. I plan on doing the same thing for m children one day, i want to give them everything i didnt have. I am planning on it. 1 bead at a time with perfect tied ends, i am clawing my way up. At the cost of my own precious time and health, im doing it. But that is the life of a young welder jay.
TheTacoSupreme good read. so, two years later, hows it going for you now? did you continue welding, continue college? im 18 right now and will enroll this fall to ny community college to get a degree in advanced manufacturing so reading this was very interesting.
In Febuary of 2015, I and about 1/5 of everybody that worked for the company lost their job due to two major boiler projects being cancelled. Since then I have taken a new route (losing the job was a good thing, it opened my eyes to the fact that a welders job is never permanent and requires alot of relocation to sustain constant employment). So here is what happened: I got a job as a sales rep selling boats for a major outdoor retailer, literally down the street from the boiler place, (this pays the bills and then some and allows me much more time and flexibility in my schedule). I am 21 now, I did enroll into a local community college, and I am a sophmore in a mechanical engineering degree averaging a 3.4gpa (math and chemistry hit me like a rock, but i'm a quick learner). I am still with my girlfriend and we can actually do things together with the time I have (which, granted, is still very little due to full time employment and full time student). Here is the funny thing: The boiler place I was working at as a welder, well, on the 7th of Febuary (6 days from now) (exactly 2 years after I lost the welding job, ironically) I have a lunch interview with the director of engineering for that same company to discuss an engineering internship. Fingers crossed.
TheTacoSupreme wow. best of luck to you then. I feel like this is something i want to get into, but thats because im not sure what i want to do. hopefully itll work for the both us
Alberta Canada. I watched a welder make $3800 in one hour. Came to the drilling rig, welded on a casing bowl, fixed several things around the rig. Gone. So... you still want to be a history major?
This is very cool, Jay. Thanks for showing this!
I work with an architectural welder that got laid off and could not find work. He went back to school and now he's a nurse. I love welding. There's just something about fusing two metals together that's badass. Well ventilated area with the proper PPE and you'll be fine. There is always that inherent danger with high voltages and molten metal but that's half the fun. I worked in a steal mill and did work for inhouse use. In the summer it would hover around 96 degrees in the coolest parts of the plant. Sometimes I would go without the leather bib for fear of heat stroke. You feel it when you get that rogue spark go down your shirt or a piece of slag drop in your boot. Is there jobs in welding? Not in my area. The stigma behind male nurses is a thing of the past. It's still a field dominated by women. But as a male nurse you get preferential treatment. Men don't complain as much as women. It's a great field to be in as a man. But I'd rather be welding and making good money to do it.
Thanks for the vid Jay.
Lincoln Electric is a fine American company that treats its employees well and has an excellent reputation across the world for tough,reliable machines and consumables.
i find it really weird cuz i just started taking welding in school and now jay keeps putting up vids about how its such a great job> Thx Jay!!!!
Been welding 9 years got qualified in 2013 im a total badass folks
*****, thank you for taking a tour of our trailer! We hope we can influence the future of the American job-force and bring more people into welding.
They should fill that trailer with smoke and turn the heater on for simulation purpose
Come on, it's not that bad, but you do have to be in UV resistant dense fabric clothes and wear gloves, or you can get a burn, and room should be well ventilated, because welding fumes are toxic and can cause asthma and cancer, there's always risk of electrocution.
funky3ddy oh thanks funky. i needed to know that (sarcasm) great. now im going to be thinking of cancer at work in the morning when i'm breathing in the 25% carbon 75%argon gas mixture we use for flux core. and the metal dust from the slag.
leathledood221
We have a saying in Russia: _"He who doesn't risk never gets to drink champagne."_
;)
Excellent, I'm glad to see this
i went through that trailer at the 2014 ffa national convention and after that ive taken alot of interest in welding and that is what ill be working towards in my future career
You're a good man, Jay... Thanks for this.
Well jay, I feel the same way. That's why I'll be starting a 2 year associate degree program at TSTC in Waco, Tx this fall.
I'm probably too old to do it now, but I wish I had been introduced to welding as a career when I was younger. The thing I've seen about welders vs. many of the other professions listed below was that welders are generally happy. Satisfaction and a sense of completion with their jobs - something that is harder to come by with a few other jobs - leads to a happier life overall. And that are all types of welding that can't be, or just won't be, robotized. Mass production will be done by robots, but all one has to do is to look around them for all the lower production military, race, construction, etc. projects going on that will use welders. My favorite would be welding as a job and as an art form; this isn't 'performance art,' but instead welds and projects that get used - hard- but that have really artistic welds to look at. For example, ZTFab's welds throughout this thread: weldingweb.com/showthread.php?30845-Mig-like-Tig/page6
Yeah, skill based trade, with a gouger an grinder as back up.
Problems solved.
I'm 20 work with a security company then on Monday's and Wednesday's I go to welding and I'm still learning how to weld but I wish I could just do that it sucks going to work at a security company around 8 and getting off whenever the job is done sometimes I'm late for welding and I don't feel like welding at all but I wish I could just weld I would enjoy it a lot more. I already love it can't wait to see what happens in the future
The master welder is looking a little flabbergasted 5:19
I love welding and can see how this virtual method could be very useful at getting youngsters involved.
I am in school for anthropology but after resewrching how many jobs there are and starting pay ive realized that i should look into the trades for a job, and then later on do anthropology for fun. I took a metalworking class in college and loved it so I presume welding is the best trade for me. Looking to start the certificate program at my local community college this summer. Metal and fire? Count me in. Lets see how well i do.
As a 18 year old guy in restoration, I would say this video was helpful
Thanks Jay!
Hell yea..dam, this just made me want to go watch jay lenos best moments..instant fan
Welding today is so important to the American Culture. You can work anywhere in the world with basic welding skills and the ability to read "Welding Drawings" and construct standard structural metal-members of a print. Welding Engineering Technology at Ferris State & other schools offer 2-Year & 4-Year welding programs. Just do it!
T J (Tom) Vanderloop, Author, Manufacturing Consultant & Technical Instructor, AWS & SME Member
Good on you, Jay Leno. I agree with you. There should be more school and classes in metal shaping, welding, and all things to do with cars. Thanks for the video, we need more like it. ~Peter Tommasini
*Interesting Subject and Great Video! Thanks, **Jay Leno**!*
I got about 75% through this vid before realizing this was Jay Leno 🤣
I don't know what to believe anymore. in 2011 I graduated from welding course, that was a year long, with 10 welding certifications, the most in my class, verified by x-ray and I couldn't get one job in the field. they ALL said that they wanted someone with experience :/ I love welding and would do it for 8-10 hours straight, but nobody would hire me from space x to Lockheed martin to the federal government on down...
It pains me how most companies "want someone with experience" yet you have to get hired in the first place to have experience :/
Nice of you to do this for free Jay..
Might try for this only done a bit of welding over here in the North East of England and no jobs going for it here!
If you can weld Pipe, you can weld anything. At our Stainless project we have an average of 8-10 welders show up daily to test and 80% are failing. So many think they can do it but so few actually can
I agree. There's plenty of jobs in North America, and particularly in the USA. There's just not enough skilled people who live in this country. There are not enough people who live in the USA who are willing to work.
It's not that. People have no money and there are no jobs.
Is that the problem with the economy; people are simply unwilling to work?
Samsgarden What other reason could there be? Why do you think much of our jobs have been outsourced to other countries?
***** that was redundant everyone thinks that they need top dollar to even look at a job in other word unwilling to work
***** How can it be cheaper when we have to pay for shipping? That doesn't make sense.
Jason Carpp Believe it. Look around your house and take notes, what's made in China, Indonesia, Japan, etc and what's made in the good ol' US of A. It's cheaper to make things and have them shipped to our country. Parts, salary, taxes and shipping still makes it worth while to outsource work and bring it in for sales. I'm assuming you havent called your cellphone company lately? AT&T has their phone reps in the Phillippines. Apple has its headquarters out in Europe to avoid US taxes. Toyota just closed shop in California and sent about 2000 jobs to Texas. I could only imagine the next step would be leaving the country. A few years back I I met a woman that worked training the call center reps for Direct TV. Her job had her travel around the country for a few weeks training people. Just before I lost touch with her they sent her to Monterrey, in Mexico, to train workers out there. It's true there aren't enough skilled workers in our country, but in some cases companies require more then what's actually needed to get the job done. I'm actually looking towards getting a second job right now since my girlfriend of 6 years and I have begun talking about making it official and living together. One of our options, believe it or not, is moving to Brazil. She was born out there and has the hook ups to be an English teacher. They pay your health insurance, your monthly travel expense (public transportation), they give you a monthly wage for groceries on top of your regular salary and i believe paid sick days. In other words, not only are our jobs leaving but the need to train people is going with those jobs.
Love watching Jay's videos
Very nice setup. I like the virtual welding concept.
Well I am actually I have been learning welding myself and most likely will be learning it professionally and actually the fumes are not a problem if you have good ventilation and you can almost guarantee a job right out of college
thanks J, this is good stuff to show and teach young ppl, im already gettin into welding myself.. deff a great career
hey how are you liking it? still in the field? thanks
Great video. Good to see Jay's support of AWS.
They are coming down to San Diego!! Nice!!
The audio seemed a little on the low side, I could barely make out what was all said. I plan to enroll at Santa Ana College in their welding program for the Spring semester. I'll be sure to check out that website for more details about that scholarship. Thanks for the video.
According to salary.com, the US national average annual income for a senior welder is $49,300. If that figure is correct, I can see why young adults out of high school aren't lining up to apply for these jobs. You can get some IT certifications in a few months and start making those figures working an entry level helpdesk position or as a network administrator.
And those numbers AREN'T accurate. Average for everyone, entry and senior levels are much lower.
Except that a welder is never going to be forced to work 15 hour days 6 days a week with zero overtime. That's the reality of tech and I work in a place where tech people are some of the best paid on the planet.
Jay really prepared for this Gig. Ah. Umm. looking around lost.... thx Jay
I am a pro welder. Nothing beats real world on the job experience
"Ill just hire a guy cos its cheaper" ......yeah cos money is tight eh jay? Lolol
My petite artist (in addition to her primary career) daughter is an expert welder.
Hey Jay, it's time you learn about good penetration!
It's annoying how some people make things about money. Yes I'd love to make enough money but I usually go for what I think I'll like. I'm a crafty person and I'd probably love welding. I'm considering it.
+Terra Jade will u be my girlfren?
I think that you'd like the oxygen acetyline the most.
that's what feels the most involved to me.
or maybe brazing? you might like that to.
Tungsten inert gas,
metal inert gas,
and arc welding are all more fast paced
There is a *HUGE* misconception about "welders needed" There are thousands of out of jobless welders out there because places only want to hire people with "2 years experience" Well It's hard to get 2 years experience when you can't get a job without 2 years experience. They don't mean 2 years as in school experience either they mean on the job experience. You could go to school for 8 years for welding and still not have a job. It's ridiculous.
The AWS posted an older 2 minute clip of Jay promoting welding yesterday on facebook. I was wondering why.
I forgot to mention they won't even let you take a welding test if you don't have 2 years experience. Some places won't even interview you. So basically you have to lie on your resume. I haven't yet but I am to the point I might as well.
how'd it go? they believe it? still in the field? liking it?
Miles Papineau I got through school and started seeing a recurring theme with recruiters. They all had the same story and looked like they were in their 60s but were barely in their 40s. I decided my health was worth more than the money I could make welding unfortunately. But I still learned an awesome skill and have something I can fall back on so I'm glad I did it.
thanks for the response. Recruiters were all experienced welders? How'd you find out there actual age. Thats wise even if you didnt go into it. youll never be out of work.
Miles Papineau I don't know if all of them are but the 4 companies I saw were. They all had the same story as in "I graduated school in 19xx and started working for ____ in 19xx-200x I worked my way up and now I'm doing this" which to me sounded like "I wore myself out so they moved me here before I couldn't work at all." hopefully that makes sense. Some of the recruiters gave their age others I just based off what year the graduated.
You need to get together with Mike Rowe and MikeRoweWorks campaign!!!!!
Jay, What a great video for High School students! If you ever get a chance to do another video about careers using waterjets, 3D printers, solidworks, etc. it certainly would be shown in High School classes and career centers. Thanks for the support from a High School Career and Technical Education teacher. Shop teacher : )
Basic cost of living is about 14.00a hour. That's in the south. You can just get by with that.
Justin bustin 17 an hour
I didnt even know these oppertunities exsisted :O Could fix the sound qulity on the walk around parts though.
The real thing is WAY more fun :)
Next year i'll study to become a welder myself.
Excellent
I want to learn all the welding all of the techniques
Any career options besides pipeline welders?
If being a welder is such a great job, why doesn't Jay sign up ? He is, after all, unemployed.
***** Perhaps I was being a little tongue-in-cheek. ;-)))
No matter the training, most graduate of welding training, still need many hours of reps on stuff that's not an airplane wing to truly grasp what's going on with multi pass welding.
Thankfully my shop has a quarry near by.
+Jay Leno's Garage you looking for any good tig welders Jay?
If you can weld, most oil fields will snap you up in a second. And pay immense money.
Nice work!
thank you for this video.
I started my career as a skilled craftsman doing marble, tile and wood flooring. I had some of my work published in Architectural Digest and won a Builders Exchange award for fine craftsmanship. Now I work on computers for a living doing computer aided drafting and design. I make more money, have better benefits, can sleep without pain in my knees and ankles and I don't have to breath in all the silica sand and sawdust.
I disagree with Jay's view on computer jobs although I'm proud of my trade work If I had a do over I would have focused on a computer based career from the start.
tool and die maker myself and do alot of tig welding I would never consider a career not in the trades I like being useful lol
I love being a welder. Welding fucking rules.
If i was 30 years younger, I would get a career in welding/metal working
Make me feel good perusing a degree in welding
based leno be praised
good for you jay, USA.............
Good
i am not from America and i am intereseted any help ?
we have one of those simulators at my technical school
Jay tell em to come to alabama
It is what I do for a living! 30 years? And then some?
I've been welding about 14 years now, unfortunately I can't get a job doing it thanks to having scoliosis and Kyphosis of the spine, it makes me a liability as far as the insurance is concerned.
I'm just coming out of a major slipped disk in my spine (too young to operate on so i gotta bare the pain) however i'm only 21. I want too do automotive welding.. do you think i'd have trouble getting into the career?
warfl4g pretty much, mine is I just have issues twisting and can't carry anything above 50 lbs so the shop insurance won't allow me to work, I have times when I'm walking around and take a normal step and my vertebrae move around.
warfl4g
It depends.
You'll handle working for custom car shops, where the atmosphere is relaxed, you can take your time, you don't have to rush anywhere, you work on a few cars at a time. But you'll definitely have trouble working in the heavy industry, where you have to weld non-stop 5 days a week in all yoga poses :))
funky3ddy the thing is I was told I'm not even an option because the insurance company would throw a fit because you pose a safety risk as someone that'd easily be hurt. Not many people have the option to work in the custom auto or bike world, yet if they have insurance as they have to, you will probably hear the same thing I did.. Hence why I am trying to figure out how to work from home. Problem is it takes money to make money.
J.A.Ratt85
Have you tried contacting associations fighting for the rights of persons with disabilities?
I'm sure there must be companies willing to hire disabled people.
The only catch to this I believe is that most higher paying welding jobs require travel to somewhere else. If you’re married with kids who really wants to do that? Also the keyword is “skilled” because anyone can be taught to dab on a part with a weld that doesn’t have to be pretty. A skilled welder takes quite a bit of time and many job opportunities state “2-3 years experience.” If you’re new trying to break into welding well you’re already out because you lack experience.
That is so true. woman do make very good welders. My daughter can weld . she has a certificate from car one. her welds look like they where finish with a file. but she is a artist first.
I saw a company hiring out in Hawaii for welders 80k-100k a year thats crazy
Great information Jay. Too many young people only want to go to college to get an MBA or political science. Jay, can you buy Bernard some denims? :D
So what are the different careers in welding? I wonder how much welders get paid and what their average work week is like
Some careers are mass-production factory based stuff, some place do more bespoke stuff.
As for payment, over here I can apply for a job that's £8-12 an hour for 40 hours a week. Which is about $12-20.
Most welding, from what I know, is labour intensive. Grinding stuff, preparing, positioning, welding and then getting assessed.
I weld for a living but I'm on the top of my pay scale for this area. Non union work in Florida. $17.00 per hour tigging.
Considering moving to Texas real soon as my wife has a job opportunity out there. Florida doesn't pay well.
+David Summers Florida doesn't pay well??? You have such a high demand for offshore welding or underwater welding which will pay you about 140k-200k
It is good to see people helping each other out for once. Someone should make a organized forum/website strictly for job positions. It would help out many people who are underpaid.
"I could save a fortune" :-D !!!
Im a welder : ) hebron oil rig project to newfoundland, canada
nice work! are you still in the trade? enjoying it? Do you think it takes a toll on health? employed by a union or large company or constantly fulfilling contracts with no pension in site? thanks a lot
Not only are there not enough skilled workers there are not enough places to go to get trained. I can get a welding job here in Omaha - if I have several years of experience. So this truck would be a great place to get started. I wait for the day when a company can go to a college and say we need so many people in this field can you train them. The school says yes we can aand so people will have a job when they get out of college.
Look at all the auto makers , robots/machines are welding everything now a days and replacing humans , less errors and more efficient
Don't forget, the moment you graduate there's a "temporary" foreign worker (who will come into the country and work on contract for 1/3 the pay) there to snatch up whatever job you might have had. Welding or otherwise.
The issue isn't jobs or the desire to take said jobs, but a continual erosion of the workforce by bureaucrats and big business colluding to undermine said workforce. And that goes for all jobs, not just welding.
Further, the issue with people from the boomer generation is that they fail to realize the system in place now. Which pits against young people who have continually attempted to educate themselves (at high cost) to attain better jobs. But those jobs are now outsourced and offshored or dealt with in some way to reduce pay and overall job security regardless of how hard you work.
Boomers need to understand, what worked 30 years ago does not work today. Just because you could drop out of school in grade 10 and get a well paying job 10 years down the road after working basically anywhere, that is not the case today. Young people have to struggle harder than ever to compete with not a local workforce, but a global one.
FYI I am eager to learn welding, but not as a career since i'm in a computer field.
yeah yeah we get it! but the once who accept a horrid paying job are mostly uneducated Mexicans not the once that come from europe or have great knowledge! and believe me if your employer find you as a really capable man and willing to improve don't worry your job is secured! but yes i agree for those who pay for stupidly high cost education! and most just want to study that cause they told them it has great pay but they don't like it! that's the problem we are having today people(from the us) don't have dreams and wants to do SOMETHING. and that my friend why you see successful foreign born people that HAVE SOMETHING TO ACHIEVE. remember we are all from a foreign born fathers or grand fathers!
Unless you're a native of this land. In which case your forefathers were already here. Much of what you say is true.
*****
I agree. The other guy said "as long as you're good, blah blah." Bullshit. Mexicans can weld just as good as we can, and like you said, for 1/3 of the pay. The boss would rather get a $10/hour raise and hire a mexican than keep you. That is what's wrong with this country. We're so busy helping foreigners in, and out, of our country that we don't take car of our own fucking citizens.
Rich people will never understand because they don't have to work.
If that was the case, they would not be paying welders $200k to work in the new oil fields cropping up all over the midwest. No oil company is going to risk a production stop because someone hired a cheap welder....
ck m Funny thing that, I heard the exact opposite. Matter of fact that's where the TFW program originated from what I understand. The oil patch is really profitable but the companies there continue to want to hire TFW's because they are cheaper than hiring Canadians.
Pay is determined by the local market of what employers are willing to pay. Move to an area where demand for welders is high with a shortage of welders equals high pay. College education means nothing when employers prefer experience over education. Employers often want you to have licenses from the state which require hours of work experience to obtain them...Catch 22.
I worked in construction as a plumber and I met a lot of welders. most of them just want to retire. made me think they are doing it just for the money and they are not enjoying it. not like how most auto mechanics are so passionate about what they are doing.
Everyone i know that is working at a long time wishes retirement, is that strange? In all areas, offices, people who travel for a living....
CNC machinist here 2nd year making 65k a year
I'm a welder and work on tractor trailers. Took me eleven yrs to get on basic cost of living. But great career if you want to pollute your lungs and have sensitive eyes at night time. I like weld cause I create things and it's the carpenter of metal. . But can't afford my own equipment to do the stuff I want to build. Hey kid you want to be a mechanic cause you want to drive , work on them? Well don't be stupid get a education, cause you won't be able to afford it.
Haha, stick welding is not quite as easy as that simulation makes it look.
have to agree where was the slag removal simulation?
Too bad the didn't put mic's on the guest.. Would've been nice to hear what they said.
programmers work with their hands
Hi!
Taft-Hartley Act>" Welding is a tool not a trade." So no welders union for welders.
Writing as a welder is great if you're fine with not making any money.