Welders and Welding Technicians

With the help of a teacher or a guidance counselor, students may be able to arrange to visit a workplace where they can observe welders or welding machine operators on the job. Ideally, such a visit can provide a chance to see several welding processes and various kinds of welding work and working conditions, as well as an opportunity to talk with welders about their work. Another way to explore this field is by visiting the Web sites of trade associations, such as the American Welding Society (which offers a Careers Resources section on its Wen site, https://www.aws.org/career-resources).

Consider joining SkillsUSA, a national membership organization for middle school, high school, and college students who are interested in pursuing careers in technical, trade, and skilled service occupations. It offers the following competitions that will be of interest to aspiring welders and welding technicians: Welding, Welding Fabrication, and Welding Sculpture.