Do you have your own equipment yet? Getting your own stuff will allow you to make a few extra bucks and get a word of mouth reputation as someone dependable. You can keep your "dead end job" for the guarenteed income and bennies and use your off time to build a business. This has worked well for me. I retired 3 years ago from a job that I hated and started welding for fun and profit. It has really paid off!
You stated that jobs are pretty limited up there. I don't care where you are, people have things that are broken and need to be repaired or improved. Build a reputation as a guy who can do that.

I've always liked to do repairs. It seems to me that a little thinking is often required to plan your way to a good result. My guess is that a quarry should offer lots of opportunity for repairs, both welding and mechanical. If that is your interest also talk to your bosses and perhaps they can send you in that direction. On the other hand if all you do is build up bucket teeth from morning to night I can see how you might dispair.
Hope you find peace- Bill

Hi Adam
I had the same thoughts the summer of 1982 when I spent months welding on chain links at the local mine as a subcontractor making $4.00 an hour running a rig.
I thought I might offer a few words of encouragement and share my own experience.
When I signed up for a 3 year vo-ed program in 1978 there were a ton of welding jobs locally, High school seniors were making $15.00/hr on internship programs.
By the time I graduated in 1981 there were over 1500 welders laid off in my county and est. 3500 in the surrounding counties (western PA). I was the only one in my welding class that was employed as a welder a year after graduating. I credit my instructor for instilling good habits, work attitudes, short and long term goals.
I set my sights on getting in with one of the local mines that I subed at. I got in with the best one while laid off in 1984, while eating Easter dinner the co called with a tooth base broken off a 24cy drag bucket. I showed up and worked on the emergency repair 20hrs straight. 2 years later the company purchased the largest dragline in PA (56cy) I gave welding tests to most of the 300 welders seeking employment to erect "Big Joe". I ended up being an xray welder on the boom and other critical parts, by the end of the project I had only 1 failure out of hundreds of shots. The best record on the project, 23 years old and the youngest welder.
1987 I traveled to Lima, Oh to work at General Dynamics Army Tank Plant where I attended an in house school for welding armor types and recieved a Top Secret clearance. I had a few other welding jobs after that.
In the mid 90s I watched as technology replaced talent in production welding. I didn't like being a trigger puller. I always wanted to use welding as a stepping stone to more money/responsibility/supervisory.
In 1998 I answered an add for a Transportation Construction Inspector and got hired. The print reading from school and experience was a major asset as well as all the great references from former employers.
I've built new bridges and supervised $2.2million welding repairs on the Neville Island Bridge near Pittsburgh. I mostly work on Major highway projects @$30.00/hr.
I wasn't trying to put my resume on but it looks like a start ha ha.
Personally though I always look for some good in every task I attempt no matter how menial, boring or senseless. I always smile and say "I can do it", even if I'm truly unsure. A positive attitude can take you a long way.
Randy

I'm an instructor at a UA Plumbers & Pipefitters union. I have plenty of contacts with young welders looking to join our union. The only clients that i will evaluate are the ones who make an appointment to come and see me in person. People who call by phone and ask many questions, i will not give them the time of day. This is the lazy way out. Always seek out employment in person, listen to what the evaluator has to say to you. If you think there is any chance at all for employment, return time and time again, but always be curtious. The more the employer sees your face, the more he will remember you, so then he can assume you are interested in working.