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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Subject to change without notice
Kevin Soley is a journeyman and Red Seal welder who has been in the welding trade for 26 years. He started his welding apprenticeship at Red Deer College in 1992 and received his Journeyman and Red Seal Status in 1994. Next, he passed his Alberta B- Pressure test and successfully ran his own welding business for 25 years. After acquiring his Red Seal Certification, he has had the privilege of welding all across western Canada. In 2013, Kevin started a different journey as an instructor in the welding trade. He was fortunate enough to receive an award as “Southern Alberta’s Top Trades Instructor” in 2014. This nomination came from students he had taught over the years. He feels that his success in the teaching field comes from understanding students and being able to present the information in a way that students will understand. He learns as much from his students as he teaches them. He is a tradesperson, just like his students, but with a little more knowledge of the trade.
Junior Ferguson is a Red Seal Journeyman welder, CWB Level 2 Visual Inspector, and small business owner currently living in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. He started his career at Nova Scotia Community College in 1994. Soon after moved to British Columbia and for 12 years he worked at various shops in the lower mainland near Vancouver, working on a large variety of projects such as Transport, Aviation, Medical, and Military Research and Development.
In 2001, Junior passed his CWB Level 2 Visual Inspectors’ certification and started doing shutdowns as a Quality Control Supervisor on different sites across the country. During this time, he ended up spending a lot of time training and testing welders for ASME Section IX certifications and has provincial welder testing accreditation in Saskatchewan.
Part-Time:
None required. Optional resources may be selected by the instructor.
The registration fee for this course is $495.
Live Online Students
Ashton College uses web conferencing tools for conducting online classes and online learning management systems for managing resources, assignments, and grades. These tools help instructors and students connect live online as well as asynchronously. The basic requirements for online learning include a computer, webcam, speakers, and a microphone or a headset and headphones, along with a reliable internet connection. Though online learning can be pursued using smartphones and tablets, the use of laptops or desktop computers is encouraged for an enhanced learning experience.
This course does not require approval by the Private Training Institutions Branch of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training. As such, it was not reviewed.