Red Seal Welder Exam Prep (Online)

Red Seal Welder Exam Prep Overview

The Red Seal Welder Examination Preparation course is designed based on the competencies listed in the trade’s National Occupational Analysis (NOA). The course will help students review all the trade-specific concepts and theories they will need to challenge and successfully pass the Red Seal Welder Examination. This intensive review course is for participants who have the requisite theoretical and practical knowledge and have met the challenge requirements to write the exam. The course will guide candidates and help them with the preparation material for the exam to become Red Seal certified.

Students will have eight weeks to complete the course.

Topics Covered/Learning Objectives

• Common Occupational Skills Part 1
• Common Occupational Skills Part 2
• Fabrication and Preparation of Components Part 1
• Fabrication and Preparation of Components Part 2
• Cutting and Gouging Part 1
• Cutting and Gouging Part 2
• Welding Processes Part 1
• Welding Processes Part 2

Admission Requirements

None

Becoming a Welder as a Career Choice

Welders operate welding equipment to weld ferrous and non-ferrous metals. This unit group also includes machine operators who operate previously set up production welding, brazing and soldering equipment. They are employed by companies that manufacture structural steel and plate work, boilers, heavy machinery, aircraft and ships and other metal products, and by welding contractors and welding shops, or they may be self-employed.

What Do Welders Do?

Welders permanently join pieces of metal by applying heat, using filler metal or fusion processes. They join parts being manufactured, build structures, and repair damaged or worn parts. They use various welding processes to join structural steel and metal in vessels, piping and other components. They also use various cutting and gouging processes as well as fabricate parts, tools, machines and equipment used in the construction and manufacturing industries.

Welders may specialize in certain types of welding such as custom fabrication, shipbuilding and repair, aerospace, pressure vessels, pipeline, structural welding, and machinery and equipment repair.

They may contract or be employed by companies such as fabrication shops, steel and platform manufacturers, petrochemical refineries, mechanical contractors, transportation contractors (heavy machinery, aircraft, shipbuilding, railcar repair), and specialized welding shops. Their work may be performed outdoors or indoors, and travel may be required to jobs in remote locations.

Required Skills

In order to meet high-quality standards, welders require attributes such as good mechanical ability, manual dexterity, good vision, excellent hand-eye coordination, and the ability to concentrate on detail work. They should be able to work independently or as part of a team. They also require the ability to work efficiently and accurately, to visualize a finished product, to reason logically and to understand metallurgy.

Career Options

With experience, welders may advance to positions such as lead hand, welding supervisor, welding inspector and project manager. There are similarities or overlaps with the work of industrial mechanics (millwrights), sheet metal workers, steamfitters/pipefitters, metal fabricators (fitters), ironworkers and boilermakers. With additional training, welders can transfer their skills to these related trades.

Current Trends

Technological advances have resulted in energy-efficient and light welding equipment. Computers and microprocessors are now being incorporated into power sources. New options in welding automation have resulted in improved quality of welds, better repeatability and consistency, increased production and less downtime. Also, digital communications between systems’ components make them faster and more flexible than previous analog systems.

Advances in pulsed welding technologies are providing high-quality welding performance on aluminum, stainless steel and other alloys. These technologies improve productivity, operator efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Modified short-circuit welding is a new technology that produces high-quality welds with minimal spatter and high productivity. Another benefit of this technology is that it may eliminate the need for back purging gas on stainless steel.

Note: Before registering for any Red Seal Exam Preparation courses, please contact your local trades authority to confirm your eligibility to write the relevant Red Seal Exam.