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Up Topic Welders and Inspectors / Education & Training / WEC Welding Institute
- - By Tyson (*) Date 01-10-2010 08:47
Hello to everyone and a Happy New Years. It has been some time since I have posted but I still find the forum very informative and appreciate all the helpful people. With the help of some respectable mentors and a humble willingness to learn attitude I have learned a lot. A year ago I was looking into different welding schools and still haven't made the commitment to one mainly due to cost. Recently I was browsing a post about the WEC Welding Institute. I have checked out the website, used the search function, and google'd everything to find as much information as I could about the program. At first the program seemed too good to be true. The only "catch", if considered one, is the one year contract you must sign to work for $18/HR. I'm interested in everybody's opinion about the school and what are the cons. Here is a link to the website if you haven't heard of the school http://www.wecweldinginstitute.com/. Thanks

Tyson
Parent - - By joe pirie (***) Date 01-10-2010 16:41
Tyson most jr colleges have welding programs some are quite good.
you might want to check out your local Ua steamfitters local.
local 250 in Los Angeles has been running a 16 week program  teaching
pipe welding. at the endof 16 weeks you get credits to mbecomming a journeyman based on
how many certifications you are able to pass. If no journeyman welder wants a JOB
you can be dispatched as a welder at full  Journeyman scale.  I've heard some
of the other locals running similiar programs . These are free of charge
If you ever served in the armed forces they also offer a helmets to hardhats program
Good luck  Joe
Parent - - By Tyson (*) Date 01-10-2010 17:47
Thanks for the reply Joe. I've been in touch with the local Plumbers and Steamfitters Union 598. They are only offering the basic 5yr apprenticeship if they accept you. I submitted an application and was told I will probably not be accepted because I have only been welding in power plants with no pipefitting experience. It seemed everytime I was getting the cold shoulder and was even told I don't have any experience that would count towards my apprenticeship. I will look into local 250 and see if I can get more information about the program.

I was interested in WEC mainly because it's free but after successfully completing the school and the ones year contract I can work at full pay scale as a welder. It seems the program is designed to be a direct pipeline into the nuclear welding field. I have been welding now and just need some type of formal training to get me certified. I feel an apprenticeship is not the route for me.
Parent - By mightymoe (**) Date 01-10-2010 19:49
You say that you've only been welding in power plants. What have you been welding and with what processes and for how long?
$18/hr is not bad these days, especially if you don't have the 4 to 5 years experience that most are looking for.
Where are you located? The WEC school/training program could help you improve your skills as a welder.
It will look good on the resume. It will allow you to get to know people in the welding industry.
However,  a full time job is expected from you but not guaranteed from them.
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 01-10-2010 21:36
Joe P and Mightymoe gave some great insight.

Westinghouse nukes may be a great way to go..  A year at 18 bucks an hour is not a that big a sacrifice to get your foot in the door in my opinion..

As far as the unions go..   with the slowed economy many locals have raised the bar for apprentices to enter.  I think partly because some locals have apprentices on the bench waiting for work to pick up.  When work picks up and the welders nation wide (who average 55 years old) continue to retire in greater numbers they will be more realistic about the amount of experience required to be an apprentice..  In my opinion the whole idea of apprenticeship is to train people up the right way, often from the very beginning... Not simply to polish off the training of folks already multi-certified with fitting experience..  But when there is a big talent pool looking to get into the union they can raise the bar and take very experienced people and keep them down as apprentices a bit longer which saves contractors some on the bottom line.  This is not altogether unreasonable, but neither will it be a permanant condition if the economy picks up.
Parent - - By Tyson (*) Date 01-11-2010 00:36
Mightymoe I have been welding strictly in power plant shutdowns going on four years. I have been using GTAW, SMAW, and FCAW processes. I'm located here in the Tri-Cities, WA area but am willing to travel anywhere. The one year contract at $18/hr would be a serious pay cut but as I understood guarunteed employment upon successful completion of the school. Please correct me if I'm wrong. As you have mentioned a few pros I see nothing but positive things from a formal education of this type.

Lawrence I am in total agreement with you that a one year contract at $18/hr is not a big sacrifice for the education I'd be recieving in return. From what I understand Westinghouse is building plants all over the world utilizing its new AP1000 pressurized water reactor system. I'm hoping WEC Welding Institute would be a great way to get my foot in the door. I understand the raised bar with unions and a more selective process for accepting new apprentice's. I suppose there are a lot more well qualified individuals than I thought trying to get into apprenticeships.
Parent - By Tyson (*) Date 01-11-2010 00:38
I also wanted to add I appreciate everybody's helpful information and opinions. Keep them coming I am all open ears. Thank you

Tyson
Parent - - By aevald (*****) Date 01-11-2010 01:49
Hello Tyson, I see by one of your comments that you are in the Tri-Cities, Wa. area, have you ever had any experience with Columbia Basin College? In the past, the folks at the school there have been considered one of the premier pipewelding facilities around and have had some pretty strong ties with the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Many of their graduates were pretty much guaranteed placement in the union upon completion of schooling or proof of talent in the pipewelding area. If you haven't looked into their training options before you might want to do so. Best of luck to you on your future and best regards, Allan
Parent - By Tyson (*) Date 01-11-2010 02:40
aevald CBC is right down the street from me. I was enrolled there for the winter quarter to complete my Nuclear Engineering Technology degree but was unable to attend due to financial issues. I was not aware of the renowned pipewelding program you speak of. I will look into it. Thank you so much.
Parent - - By mightymoe (**) Date 01-11-2010 02:27
Tyson,
Four years experience in shut-downs is great. Have you been welding hangers and pipe? Carbon and stainless? How many hours a day are you actually welding?
I worked at a nuke plant for 2 outages and the inage in between (9 months) right out of tech school. I learned alot and grew as a welder but I could have learned so much more had I been able to weld every day. Now I'm in a fab shop welding pipe for the nuke jobs, welding all day, my skills and confidence have greatly improved.
WEC in Rock Hill has a very nice school/shop. They give you the chance to make welds that most Tech schools can't afford to let you make. You say you are willing to travel anywhere and that's what WEC expects. If you can survive during the 5 months of school and one year at $18/hr it would likely open up some great opprotunities. 
 
Parent - By Tyson (*) Date 01-11-2010 03:06
Mightymoe I still consider myself entry level in the trade. I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from some very skilled craftsman who I show the utmost respect to. Most of my welding is boiler tubes and piping with the occasional structural. As for amount of time spent actually welding it varies throughout the job. My job title is a boilermaker so I demo, install, fabricate, rig sort of do it all. I have learned an overwhelming amount of information since I first started and have had plenty of time welding. There is no shortage of welding when replacing panels in the boiler. I expect to travel as a welder so it will be no surprise always being on the move. I'm interested if anybody here has been through the program or maybe knows someone that has been through the program to give some insight?
Parent - - By Tyson (*) Date 01-14-2010 02:09
Here's the email I recieved back from WEC. Guess I'll start looking somewhere else.

Tyson,

I have received your application for the welder training program at WEC Welding and Machining. We currently have a 18 to 20 month waiting list for our training program in Rock Hill SC and Chattanooga TN. We will notify you 30 days in advance of an opening to complete a back ground investigation and forensic drug screen.

Regards

Richard Frisbey
GM WEC Welding Institute
WEC Welding and Machining
Parent - - By RANDER (***) Date 01-14-2010 06:11
Pretty long list for the 3rd worst job in the USA
Parent - - By Tyson (*) Date 01-14-2010 06:21
Haha yea I was pretty disappointed to receive that response. I read somewhere that they were changing their selection process to be more strict. New students would need some type of industrial construction background and preferably welding experience. I don't understand this when the application was only a name, phone number, and address. I'm going to see if I can get a resume to them. With my experience it might put me up higher on the list.
Parent - - By Ringo (***) Date 01-14-2010 11:49
I would put my name in there if I were you.I went thru a similar program back in the late 80's with Fluor Daniels,and I was glad to get it.The program lasted 6 months at 40hrs. a week.And as soon as you could pass a 6g in stainless and carbon steel pipe,they sent you to work at journeyman wages.
Parent - By Tyson (*) Date 01-15-2010 06:21
I'm definitely trying to get in. From what I can tell and the advice I have been given it's a great opportunity.
Up Topic Welders and Inspectors / Education & Training / WEC Welding Institute

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