Welder (Pre-Employment)

Program Description

The 34 week Welder (Pre-Employment) Diploma program is a provincially-accredited apprenticeship program that was developed by government and approved by the Provincial Apprenticeship and Certification Board. The program provides students with a wide range of skills that are needed to work as a first-year apprentice, including those related to safety, blueprint reading, plasma arc cutting/gouging, fuel brazing, shielded metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, flux-cored arc welding and fabrication as well as many others. Most courses are designed in such a way that students spend time divided equally between the classroom and Welding shop. Upon successful completion of academic courses students will also take part in a 2 week work-term before graduating.

Please note that due to the nature of this career, employees are required to tolerate regular physical activity during the course of their work day. If you have any medical concerns, please contact your admissions officer to ensure you are aware of the requirements of the occupation and to determine if you are eligible for accommodations in this program.

Apprenticeship Training

The Welder (Pre-Employment) program is an apprenticeship trades program. Courses completed at Academy Canada meet the requirements to become a first-year apprentice. Once this training is completed and the graduate obtains their first position in the trade, s/he must register as an Apprentice with the Department of Education. Government will then cover the costs associated with regular advanced training as the apprentice gains experience and works towards completing their Journeyperson exam. Passing this examination will result in receiving Red Seal Certification.

Program Courses

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)
• Standard First Aid
• Safety
• Tools and Equipment
• Stationary Machinery
• Oxy-fuel Cutting, Heating, Gouging and Welding
• SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding) 1 Set-up, Strike and Maintain an Arc
• SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding) 2 Fillet Weld, All Positions
• GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) 1 Set-up and Maintain an Arc
• GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) 2 Fillet Weld All Positions, Mild Steel
• FCAW (Flux Core Arc Welding) 1 Set-up and Deposit a Weld
• MCAW (Metal Core Arc Welding) 1 Set-up and Deposit a Weld
• GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding) 1 Set-up and Deposit a Weld
• Plasma Arc Cutting and Gouging
• Blueprint Reading 1 (Basic)
• Blueprint Reading 2 (Welding Symbols)
• Shop Drawings and Structural Components for Fabrication
• Layout and Template Development Fundamentals
• Metallurgy
• Quality Control
• Jigs and Fixtures
• SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding) 3 Groove Weld 1G, 2G, 1GF, 2GF, 3GF, and 4GF
• Fillet and Groove Weld, Medium and High Carbon Steel using FCAW, GMAW, GTAW, MCAW, and SMAW
• GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) 3 Groove Weld, All Positions, Mild Steel
• Build Up of Metal Parts
• FCAW (Flux Core Arc Welding) 2 Fillet and Groove Weld Plate, All Positions
• Air Carbon Arc Cutting and Gouging
• Hoisting, Lifting, Rigging and Access Equipment
• Work Planning
• Introduction to Apprenticeship
• Introduction to Essential Skills
• Math Essentials
• Welding Math Fundamentals
• Communication Essentials
• Workplace Essentials
• Computer Essentials
• Workplace Exposure

Employment Opportunities

Upon successful completion of the Welder (Pre-Employment) program, graduates may be eligible for employment (depending on specific hiring practices) in ship yards, paper mills, refineries, and fabrication shops. Opportunities also exist for self-employment. A small sample of Academy Canada’s excellent employers include:

• Mercer’s Machine Shop
• Metal World
• Auto Weld
• Beothuck Trailers
• Newfoundland Dockyard
• EMM Hardchrome
• Dawes Welding and Sons
• LaFarge Gypsum
• Western Steel Works
• D.F. Barnes Ltd.
• TA Industrial Ltd, ON
• Metal Specialty
• Iron Workers Hall
• East Coast Marine
• Sealand Enterprise
• Atlantic Millwright
• Department of Transportation and Works
• OSCO Construction Group
• Coady’s Metal Works

On August 5, 2024, Academy Canada’s Welder (Pre Employment) program was featured on NTV News First Edition’s “Made Right Here” segment with Danielle Butt. Check this out!!!