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Thinking about a career in welding after high school? But wondering how to get started?
If you live in Houston, Texas, you have options for welding training.
See more about how to prepare for a welding career in the Lone Star State below.
Does Texas Need Welders?
Yes, Texas needs welders.
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As the nation’s infrastructure continues to age, welders will be needed to help rebuild bridges, highways and buildings in the coming years. The employment of welders is expected to grow around 8% across the country through 2030.
In Texas, $3.6 billion will be needed annually over the next decade to maintain bridges, according to the Texas 2021 Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
The construction industry in the state of Texas will continue to see demand from commercial and residential projects, according to the Report on Texas Growth Occupations 2020, issued by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Job prospects are expected to be best for workers who have up-to-date welding training.
How Do I Get Started in a Welding Career?
Welders often get their start in technical training programs. Some people may enter a welding training program right after high school. Others may enter the field of welding with some military experience. Some people may transition to welding from another career.
The only formal educational requirement usually required for welding jobs is a high school diploma or GED. Being successful at welding requires a high level of manual dexterity, physical strength and stamina, spatial orientation and mechanical skill.
As long as you are physically and mentally capable of learning how to weld, you don’t necessarily need an academic education to get started in this field. While some people learn their welding skills on the job, many opt to enroll in a vocational training program as their starting point because employers typically prefer to hire applicants with this credential.
How Do I Become a Welder with No Experience?
Did you know more than 100 different types of welding processes exist? Welding is used in many industries, including construction, car racing and manufacturing.
Most professional welders started out as someone with no experience. If you are interested in welding but are unsure where to start, you could start by considering enrolling in a welding training program to learn welding basics.
Welding Training in Houston, Texas
The Professional Welder program at Tulsa Welding School & Technology Center (TWSTC) in Houston, Texas, offers an introduction to structural welding, fluxcore welding and pipe welding.
This welding training program is designed to teach the fundamentals of welding processes, including SMAW, GMAW and TIG welding.
You may also consider browsing local job boards to find out what kinds of welding jobs are available near you. Consider if you are willing to travel or relocate after welding training, which might open up additional job opportunities.
Welding is a field that offers many different career paths, with different types of specialized skills needed for different types of jobs.
For example, the American Welding Society offers certification in multiple categories. TWSTC also offers a Welding Specialist with Pipefitting program in Houston, Texas, for people specifically interested in a pipefitting career.
How Long Is Welding School in Texas?
There are different welding schools in Texas that offer different types of programs, which take different lengths of time to complete. At TWSTC, the Professional Welder program typically takes 7 months to complete, while the Welding Specialist with Pipefitting program can be completed in less than 10 months.
Welding classes at TWSTC consist of both classroom learning hours and welding lab hours for both conceptual learning and hands-on practice:
- Lecture hours may include how to read blueprints, recognize welding symbols and understand construction drawings.
- Welding practice hours could include learning how to set up welding equipment, how to operate welding equipment and how to weld in multiple positions.
Welding Training Curriculum
The Professional Welder program consists of 6 courses:
- Welding Fundamentals
- GMAW/FCAW Processes
- Structural Welding
- Basic Pipe Welding
- Advanced Pipe Welding
- Welding Capstone
Each of these courses consists of 125 total contact hours (750 total) to be completed over seven months, with some additional prep hours.
Pipefitter Training Curriculum
The Welding Specialist with Pipefitting program contains the above courses, with 2 additional pipefitting classes:
- Introduction to Pipefitting
- Advanced Pipefitting
Each of these classes consists of 125 total contact hours (250 total) to be completed in about 3 additional months, with some additional prep hours.
Train for a Welding Career with TWSTC in Houston, Texas
Ready to start preparing for a welding career? Call TWSTC at 1-855-237-7711 for more info about its welding training and pipefitting training programs in Houston, Texas.
