Becoming a Boilermaker

if you're doing an apprenticeship the onus is on the company to provide experience and training in return for hard yakka and a willingness to learn from you for a lower than normal wage.

If you have the opportunity to choose an employer try to find one that does a broad range jobs with a variety of materials. Once employed get all the tickets you can, crane, forklift, welding, ohs etc. If you are given the chance to work with exotic materials grab the opportunity, it's good experience and looks good on resumes.

Seek out opportunities to use new technologies in welders and cutting equipment as well as the older technologies.

I did my apprenticeship 25 odd years ago and had to get out of the trade due to health reasons. Always wear safety glasses and hearing protection the effects creep up on you and are permanent.

You will learn how to weld through Tafe or another RTO but only the basics of mig, tig and stick. By being open to opportunities I was certified to weld aluminium, stainless, high carbon steel, titanium and mild steel to xray standards.

Boilermaking is a good honest trade, good luck with you're apprenticeship

woody

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Originally Posted by It'sNotWorthComplaining!

would you consider joining the defence force and getting an adult traineeship. do the 3 months hard yards then reap the benefits, better pay than a civilian apprentice plus the allowances.

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Mate, that was the first place I looked. They don't offer boilermaker apprenticeships.

not sure about apprenticeships but the navy class boily's as Marine Technician Hull.
I tried to join up in the late 1980's, passed all the entrance requirements except the physical. Apparently I was to heavy at six foot two and 90 kgs, they wanted me down to 70 kgs. I was later told that was code for thank you for the interest but we're not hiring at the moment, although I was offered a job as a submariner (which I politely declined).

Thanks Woody, I'll have another look. I'm 6'4" and 100kg so not sure how I'll go these days :)

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Originally Posted by tomalophicon

Keith, I can only stick weld but consider myself not bad.
Do you mean I'll need good welding skills before I can get in?

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It would certainly help you plus hardly anyone use's stick welding in a workshop anymore mostly mig so you'll need get skills in mig welding.If your planning go to TAFE then they'll teach you that anyway.

I'll learn some MIG theory then. I don't have access to a machine.