So you want to be a welder but you don’t want to pay for school. It’s understandable, considering the exorbitant cost of college and the crippling amount of student loan debt held by the average American. But is it actually doable? While enrolling in a formal training program may be the most straightforward path to becoming a welder, you CAN learn the trade without paying tuition. Here, we’ll explain how to do it and share some tips that will help you out along the way.
Being a quality welder takes skill, dexterity, and focus. It also requires a knowledge of metals and their properties as well as a variety of welding techniques. Sure, anyone can type up a resume and say they have these skills, but how do you know if the welder you’re considering hiring is actually any good? The answer: the right certifications.
For some reason, many people have a big misconception about skilled trade jobs: they (mistakenly) believe they don’t pay well. In reality, though, it’s common for workers in skilled trades to earn around the U.S. national average salary–about $53,500 a year–and many earn much, much more than that. To prove it, we’ve gathered the data on a dozen of the highest-paying skilled trade jobs, many of which allow you to get started without a four-year degree. If you’re looking to earn a great living doing engaging work that you love, consider one of these trade professions.
Some people don’t learn well in a traditional classroom setting, picking things up much more effectively when they’re able to learn by seeing and doing. Others find it stifling to sit at a desk doing the same thing day after day. For many, the cost of a traditional college education is impractical or downright out of the question. If you relate to one or more of these scenarios, you’re not alone. Whatever your reason for shying away from the conventional college path, we’ve got good news pertaining to your career options: welding is a reliable, well-paying field that welcomes professionals from all backgrounds, including those who haven’t studied it in school.
As an in-house talent acquisition or recruiting professional, you’re on the front lines of the battle for best-fit talent – the dependable, skilled tradespeople who show up to the job site or on the plant floor and get the job done from day one. Shifting your talent acquisition strategy to one based on continual sourcing can give your organization an edge in the fight.
A quality control manager is one of a company’s front-line defenses against product defects and process inefficiencies. They protect the consumer from products that don’t work properly or are downright unsafe and help the company avoid wasting money, labor, and time. If you’re a hiring manager interviewing a quality control manager or a candidate about to head into a quality control interview, here are 15 sample questions and answers to help you prepare.
Without construction workers, we wouldn’t have buildings to live and work in. Without plumbers, we wouldn’t have running water with the twist of a faucet. Without electricians, we wouldn’t be able to illuminate a room with the flip of a switch. The skilled trades make modern life possible. And yet, the nation is facing a shortage of skilled trade workers like none we’ve seen before.
From welders and pipefitters who build and repair pipelines to rig operators and drillers who work on oil rigs, jobs in the oil and gas field are a lucrative source of income for hundreds of thousands of Americans. If you’re dependable and aren’t afraid of a little hard work, you can earn a solid living with or without a traditional four-year degree.
The term ‘skilled trades’ is broader than you probably imagined, covering hundreds of positions that call for any number of specialized skills. Regardless of their specialization, however, skilled trades jobs carry with them tremendous earning potential and the chance to carve out a profitable niche for yourself in any number of in-demand industries. Here’s the basics of skilled trades jobs, including which ones pay the most, which are the easiest to break into, and which promise to be the most in demand over the next decade.
The Surehand Spotlight shares some of the many thousands of stories in the skilled industrial trades, shining a bright light on the hard-working tradesmen and women who build, operate, maintain, and ensure the safety of the world we live in. This month, we shine the spotlight on Barbie The Welder, an American metal sculptor from Elmira, New York. Barbie realized her passion after seeing a metal sculptor at work in a major Hollywood movie. Scraping together tuition, she enrolled in welding courses and subsequently obtained a position with a custom metal fabrication shop. Today, she runs her own business as a full time metal sculptor.
