Boilermakers, welders, and engineering tradespeople are responsible for building and repairing metal products by using various welding methods. These craftsmen may specialize in specific welding areas, such as custom fabrication, pressure vessel welding, pipeline construction welding, structural construction welding, or machinery and equipment repair welding.
The duties of the job include
- Fitting attachments
- Inspecting and checking welds
- Cleaning and smoothing welds.
- Adjusting welding machine variables
- Preparing metal surfaces for welding, cutting and shaping metal
- Studying blueprints or specifications to determine which welding methods to use
The desired skills for this job include
- Patience
- Physical fitness
- Teamwork skills
- Good eye for detail
- Safety consciousness
- Experience in a similar industry
- Enjoyment of hands-on technical tasks
- Accuracy to perform high-quality work
- Ability to pass pre-employment medical tests
- Interest in computer programmable machinery
- Ability to work in confined spaces and at heights
- Ability to maintain negative drug and alcohol tests
- Ability to undertake shift work, including days, nights, and weekends.
To become a welder/boilermaker, a Certificate III in Engineering (Fabrication) is required, preferably through an apprenticeship. A Certificate I in Metals and Engineering is also highly considered. Existing skills, experience, or qualifications may be recognized through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
This industry offers excellent income potential, possible rewards and incentives for work performance, exciting new challenges, opportunities for advancement, career pathways, access to job development and training, working with highly driven and motivated teams, and portability of skills and experience within the industry. The career pathway for this job starts as an apprentice and leads to becoming a Welding Inspector, with an estimated salary of $81,000 – $149,000 (base) per year.
