Your idea of training weldors is admirable. Hobart will sale you anything that they have to use as training materials. What you cannot do is copy anything. Steve Houston, the person in charge of training materials, has been known to send a letter granting permission to make ONE copy of the videos if you contact him. This is in case a video screws up and you can then use the copy. You better have the letter on file that permits that copy. Call Steve. He is a very nice guy to deal with.
Training weldors...if you plan to train people that are already out there doing the welding you best have more experience/knowledge than they have. Don't try to prove this to them. They'll ask enough questions to find out if you know your stuff.
Training people that have never welded...you need a minimum of ten years hands on experience and enough knowledge to be able to find an answer to any questions they WILL ask or explain things that they don't know how to question.
I would recommend that you work as an assistant trainer to learn how to train. Minimum five years. There is a difference in knowing how to weld and knowing how to train a person to weld.
A CWI and CWE are highly recommended. Being certified/qualified in the area that you will be training is a start. It is better to be over certified/qualified. If you're teaching plate welding you should be pipe certified. I realize this leaves this area wide open, but I'm just giving an example.
You'll need to accept cultural differences. You'll deal with those that think they know it already. You'll deal with those that want to know it, but will never be able. There are people that are fast learners, slow learners, engineers, illiterate, single parents, girl friends of boy friends, the kid that wants his first car, the guy that's planning his retirement, etc. These people can be very focused or off in lala land not thinking about welding. Sometimes you need to be a counselor.
Know your skill and how to get people to respond. Being a trainer is more than showing someone how.
OFW:
Excerpt from another post:
"It's what's above your shoulders is what counts. I can teach others to do what I do with a gun, torch, machine etc. That is the hard part. After babysitting (training) one of my clients passed his 6G on the first shot recently, he never tested before in his life. That is the hard part..."
The operative phrase is "That is the hard part."
Being proficient at welding does not make one a welding educator.
Teaching sounds easy, it ain't.
Ditto on the various cultures or personalities.
With all due respect to your credentials, you need more experience yourself based upon some of your replies to this forum. This is not a slam, get some more trigger time under your belt OFW before you disseminate welding knowledge.
By -
Date 11-07-2003 19:37
Anyways whatever you say,I still don't think on planning on being a certified welding instructor and teaching kids on how to do tests but just start a few classes to earn a few bucks,I wasn't planning on teaching something I haven't fully mastered,I think where I come from I know pretty much to get kids by.Been doing it for decades.Ofcourse you cannot be a teacher without understanding something you are going to teach.That's just common sense.I should of informed you better but maybe this will help.Basically what most of you are trying to tell me that I cannot be aws certification quality well that's not what i was intending,people have seen my work for years and many parents and youngins have come up to me and offered money to me so I can teach them what I know.
Now you all go be safe!
Watch out for reproduction rights, publishers may get upset if you are copying thier materials without permission.
