Versatility Sparks Need For Welders

FROM BUILDINGS to tools to modern art, welders are finding plenty of places to use their skills.

Welders help put things together for all of us, but the only sign of their role often is the spray of fireworks created by the tools they use to join metal.

Welding is part of modern life: It's found in new buildings, in the fabrication of tools and machines, the manufacture of exercise equipment and work boats, in the repair of automobiles and even in the art world.

As a result, welders are in demand.

"It's a healthy outlook right now," said Richard Larson, lead welding instructor at Lake Washington Technical College in Kirkland, which offers a certification program.

But not everyone who takes welding classes is set on becoming a full-time welder. Welding is a skill valuable to other craft workers: machinists, diesel mechanics, electricians, pipe fitters, boilermakers and carpenters, Larson said.

"It is a strong tool to put into one's tool box," he said.

Roger Squirrel, who teaches welding at South Seattle Community College, said the demand for trained welders is growing as industries that fabricate medium and light-metal products expand.

Entry-level workers, those trained and certified to work with steel, earn $12 to $14 an hour. Journey level welders earn up to $18 an hour. Wages depend on the type of work done and whether the job is covered by a union contract.

A typical small-business employer of welders is Kvichak Marine

Industries in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. Between 25 and 30 welders work full-time building aluminum boats, from sightseeing boats for the Hawaiian Islands to enforcement vessels for fish and wildlife agencies.

"It's a great time to be a welder," said Jim Meckley, production manager for Kvichak. He waved his arm toward welders working on commercial boats of more than 50 feet long and several smaller utility boats for the Navy.

"There are a lot of opportunities," he said. "There is work."

Kvichak and other employers look for welders who hold certificates issued by the Washington Association of Building Officials. The certificates, granted after written and practical tests, indicate the skill level of the welder.

Kvichak and others test job applicants by having them display welding skills. The employers also will provide some on-the-job training and work with community colleges to provide refresher courses.

Welders working on passenger-carrying boats also are subject to additional testing by the Coast Guard, which oversees construction of excursion vessels and ferries.

Wade Groshung is a second-generation welder at Kvichak.

Groshung began as a welder but has advanced to a lead man, with responsibility for completion of projects. He was lead on the construction of a new patrol boat for the Seattle Police Department and for a large excursion vessel.

Trevor Lycett also has his family to thank for his career in welding at the boat builder.

"I think it was bred into me. My grandfather was a high-iron man and I started working in structural steel, but ended up here. It is much better building boats," he said.

Lycett needed additional training in the welding of aluminum. He said Kvichak helped pay tuition for a community-college refresher course.

Lycett said he probably won't spend his working life as a welder. But he believes it will be an important part of any other industrial or fabrication job he takes. "No one can take that skill away from you," he said.

There are no academic qualifications needed for enrollment in community-college welding and fabrication classes. South Seattle and others offer programs for high-school dropouts that will qualify them for entry-level jobs, Squirrel said.

"Employers take people we deliver and fine-tune the skills needed for their work," he said.

Welders need basic math skills to be able to measure and figure area and volumes. A little geometry is helpful, too, in welding and cutting circles, for example.

Squirrel said remedial classes are available for students lacking math skills.

Community colleges offer a one-year certificate program, the most popular, and a two-year degree program in welding and metal fabrication.

The programs attract men and women, ranging from young people looking for their first jobs to older adults seeking new opportunities or retraining after being laid off.

But not everyone in welding classes is interested in industrial work. Squirrel said there are artists who want to learn welding and cutting skills to create metal sculpture.

Bob Lane is a Seattle free-lance writer.