Occupational Guides for Immigrants to B.C.

NOC: 7265 Apprenticeable

Welders
Contents of this Guide

Welders
Introduction What are the Occupational Guides for Immigrants to B.C.?

British Columbia welcomes you! Like you, over 35,000

immigrants from around the world settle in B.C. each year and find
work in a variety of professions. The process of finding work can take
time, so it is important to understand each of the steps needed to
gain employment.
If you are preparing to come to B.C., or have just arrived, this guide
provides the following information:

Section 1 - how this occupation is practiced in B.C.

Section 2 - steps to help prepare you before you arrive
Section 3 - qualifications needed in B.C.
Section 4 - tips to help you find employment

Section 1

Occupational Overview

What is a welder?
To do their work, welders:
Use manual or semi-automatic welding equipment to fuse
metal pieces together;
Use flame-cutting, brazing and soldering equipment;
Use metal shaping machines such as brakes, shears and other
metal straightening and bending machines; and
Plan work from drawings or by analyzing damaged metal

Learn More

Some excellent sources of

occupational information include:
National Occupational Classification (NOC)
is Canadas reference on occupations. The
NOC provides job descriptions, occupational
statistics and labour market information.
www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/noc

Welders may specialize in certain types of welding such as:

Custom fabrication
Ship building and repair
Pressure vessel welding
Pipeline construction welding

Workforce Highlights

10,300

Welders in B.C.
Hourly Wage

Structural construction welding

$17.50 - $35.80 Range

Machinery and equipment repair welding

For more information on wages and workforce see Section 2

This Occupational Guide for Immigrants to BC is a resource to help immigrants build a career plan. Occupational qualifications and requirements
sometimes change. Planning your career in BC will require additional research and direct contact with the appropriate regulatory bodies,
professional associations and training institutions. This Occupational Guide is for general information only and is not legal or professional advice.

www.WelcomeBC.ca

Occupational Guides for Immigrants to B.C.

NOC: 7265 Apprenticeable

Welders
There are three levels of welders in Canada; A, B, and C:
Welder Level A is a welder who has advanced training, skills and
abilities to weld all materials, including specialized alloys, by any
manual welding process and in any position.
Welder Level B is a welder who has training in and is capable of
welding ferrous and non-ferrous metals in all positions, on both plate
and/or pipe, using:

Shielded Metal Arch Welding (SMAW),

Gast Tungsten Arch Welding (GTAW), and

Flux-cored Arch Welding (FCAW) processes

These welders qualify to test for Portable Pressure Welding Procedure

(PWP) tests in B.C.
Welder Level C is a welder who has training in and is capable of
welding various steel and aluminum parts using the SMAW, GMAW
and FCAW processes, in the fabrication, construction, erection
and repair of components or structures, in plate and structural
applications.
For more information for welder Level A and B, go to:
www.itabc.ca/Page702.aspx
For more information for welder Level C, go to:
www.itabc.ca/Page703.aspx

What qualifications are required to be a welder in B.C.?

Trade certification is not required to work as a welder in B.C.
However, certification or apprenticeship will increase your
understanding of how this occupation is practiced in B.C. and will
increase your chance of getting a job.
There are three levels of welder certification: Levels C, B and A.
Level C certification is needed to get Level B certification and Level
B is needed to get Level A certification.

Learn More

Industry Training Authority (ITA)

The Industry Training Authority (ITA) manages B.C.s
trades training.
www.itabc.ca
Telephone: 778.328.8700 or 1.866.660.6011

Interprovincial Red Seal Certification is available for welder Levels

B and A. Level C will receive an ITA Certificate of Qualification.

What skills and attributes do employers expect

from welders?
Good manual dexterity

Strong technical and artistic interests

Analytical ability

A good understanding of computerized machinery

High level of design sense

Good English language and communication skills

Capable of following instructions precisely

Where are welders employed?

Welding contractors

Manufacturers of structural steel and platework

Welding shops

Self-employed

Mining and shipping companies

Occupational Guides for Immigrants to B.C.

NOC: 7265 Apprenticeable

Welders
Section 2

Prepare Before You Come to B.C.

Explore Regions in B.C. to Live and Work

The demand for each occupation varies throughout the regions of the
province. B.C. is a big province, about the same size as Tanzania or
Venezuela, and bigger than Pakistan or Turkey. Each region has different
employment needs and industries. Use the labour market information
and resources in this guide to explore regional employment options.

B.C. Labour Market Information

To learn more about your chosen profession visit the following websites
where you will find information including salaries, regional employment
opportunities, job descriptions, and more.

B.C. Job Trend Tracker

www.bcjobtrendtracker.ca
Education Planner
www.educationplanner.ca

WorkBC
www.workbc.ca

Working in Canada Tool

www.workingincanada.gc.ca

3
1

BC Wage and Salary Survey 2009

www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/LabourIncome/Earnings.aspx

Prepare Yourself
Plan and prepare for your career as much as possible before
arriving in B.C. Be sure you understand the provincial job
market and professional requirements of your occupation. You
may be able to start or complete many of these tasks before you
arrive in Canada.

B.C. DEVELOPMENT REGIONS

1.
2.
3.
4.

Vancouver Island/Coast
Mainland/Southwest
Thompson-Okanagan
Kootenay

5.
6.
7.
8.

Cariboo
North Coast
Nechako
Northeast

Get Started!
1. Learn about the occupation. Know the name of the job in Canada, and make lists of potential employers.
2. Collect documents. Collect copies of relevant documents, and if necessary, have them translated into English.

Degrees, diplomas or certificates from universities, colleges or schools

Program descriptions related to your studies, and transcripts of grades
Reference letters and performance reviews from employers
Work descriptions and letters from professional agencies
3. Improve your workplace skills. You may need to improve your skills or knowledge before you start working in B.C.
Explore all of the resources provided in this guide.

Occupational Guides for Immigrants to B.C.

NOC: 7265 Apprenticeable

Welders
Section 3

Becoming Qualified to work in B.C.

The following information will help you understand how to become

certified to work as a welder in B.C. This is only a guide; you will have
to do more research to make a career plan that will work for you. It
is important to complete all of the activities listed below. It is not
necessary to complete the activities in the order they are listed. To save
time, it is advisabble to work on many of these activities at the same
time.

Begin the qualification and career

planning process and obtain all
required documents before leaving
your country. If you have already
arrived in B.C., develop a career plan
immediately to avoid creating a gap
in your professional experience.

Learn more about what is required to become

qualified to work as a welder in B.C.
Welder is one of several Red Seal trades in B.C. The ITAs website
provides information that will assist you to understand the
occupation of welder in B.C. The steps required to become
qualified are listed and fully explained. It is important to begin
this process as soon as possible.
You have three ways to become certified as a welder:
1. Challenge Certification Examinations
In order to apply to challenge the certification examination,
you must have direct related work experience:
Level C - 2,700 hours
Level B - 5,400 hours
Level A - 7,020 hours

You must challenge Level C first. The steps are as follows:

Complete Certification Challenge Application - for welder
C Challenge and send to ITA for review. Go to:
www.itabc.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=512

Learn More

Skilled Trades Employment Program (STEP)

Skilled Trades Employment Program (STEP)
has developed self assessment tools to assist
individuals by creating a picture of their current
potential to get a job or start their own business.
www.stepbc.ca/job-seekers

This process must be repeated

for welder B and A respectively.
Once welder Level B is achieved
the candidate may challenge
the Red Seal interprovincial
certification. The same also applies
to welder Level A.

Schedule a written test (70% passing mark required). You

will receive an ITA report with pass/fail information and
information about accredited institutions list if upgrading
is required
Schedule a practical assessment test date at an accredited
center

The accredited test center / institution will send the

results to the ITA. If you are successful, you will receive
the welder Level C Certificate of Qualification (C of Q)

2. Modular Format
The Modular Format requires more in-school training than
the apprenticeship format for all levels of certification
beginning with modular C. Each level takes one year to
complete and requires a mix of documented training and
work experience.

Occupational Guides for Immigrants to B.C.

NOC: 7265 Apprenticeable

Welders
3. Formal Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship can be started through entry-level training at
colleges and technical institutes.

Apprenticeships can also be started through direct entry where
workers find a sponsor employer who is willing to participate
in the program and will verify skills and experience through
recording activities in a work log or activity journal.

Review and download the application package

for welder C certification
Download the application package by going to:
www.itabc.ca/Page703.aspx

Collect relevant documents and professional

evidence to challenge the Red Seal exams
It is important to regularly check the ITA website and its processes
and qualifications as these sometimes change. This is the current list
of required documents for certification exam challengers:
Current List of Required Documents:

Application to Challenge
Applicant Work Experience Information
Employer Declaration
A Statutory Declaration when an Employer Declaration is not
available

Improve your language skills

There is no formal English language assessment
for the ITA application process. However, excellent
communication skills are required. Efforts to improve
your communication and presentation skills should be
ongoing.

All documents, including letters

and certificates, must be originals
or certified true copies of originals,
in English. Documents must be
translated by Certified Translators.

Learning the English terms for

welding tools and processes will
improve your chances when taking
exams or courses and will strengthen
your opportunities for employment.

English Language and Communication Services

DIVERSEcity
www.dcrs.ca

S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
www.successbc.ca

TOEFL
www.toefl.org

English Language Services for Adults

www.elsanet.org

MOSAIC
www.mosaicbc.com

Welcome BC
www.welcomebc.ca

Planning to Work in British Columbia,

Canada Workbook
www.welcomebc.ca/local/wbc/docs/
BC_Workbook_EN_June4_Fillable.pdf

IELTS International English

Language Testing System
www.ielts.org

Immigrant Services
Society of BC
www.issbc.org

Occupational Guides for Immigrants to B.C.

NOC: 7265 Apprenticeable

Welders
Learn More

If required, register for professional upgrading

programs
You may be required to take upgrading courses to certify as C,
B, or A-category welder. Many of these programs have waitlists
and so it is important to make contact and register as soon as
possible.

Section 4

Tips to Finding Employment in B.C.

Get Help with Your Job Search

Finding a job in B.C. may be very different than in your home
country. You may need help finding job vacancies, updating
your resume, writing cover letters, preparing for interviews, and
understanding what B.C. employers are looking for.
Skills Connect for Immigrants program provide
employment-related support services that move
internationally educated professionals into the B.C. labour
market: www.welcomebc.ca/skillsconnect
B.C. Employment and Labour Market Services
employment programs: www.labourmarketservices.gov.bc.ca
Skilled Trades Employment Program offers employment
assistance specifically for tradespeople: www.stepbc.ca

Build connections to your profession begin

networking
Many job vacancies are not advertised. To find out about jobs that
are not advertised, you must make connections with working
welders and others in the construction sector. Working as a
volunteer is a good way to meet people, understand Canadian
workplace culture and improve your English language and
communication skills.

Professional Upgrading Programs

The ITA Immigrants in Trades Training Initiative:
(ITTI): provides opportunities for immigrants and
internationally trained workers.
www.itabc.ca/Page956.aspx
The B.C. Construction Industry Training
Organization (CITO): works with industry, training
providers, labour unions, government and other
stakeholders to meet the construction industrys
training needs and provide career opportunities.
www.bccito.ca/apprentice-training-programs/citoapprenticeships-red-seal-trades

The Canadian government provides employment

and settlement services in China, India, the
Philippines and the United Kingdom. The program
is called the Canadian Immigrant Integration
Program (CIIP). To get more information about
these pre-arrival services, go to:
www.newcomersuccess.ca

Learn More

Welders may have various

job titles or do different jobs such as:

The following is a list of associations that provide additional

information and offer a variety of professional training, education
and networking opportunities.
Mechanical Contractors Association of British Columbia
www.mcabc.org
Canadian Welding Association (CWA)
www.weldingindustryjobs.org

Aviation welding technician

Brazing machine operator
Brazing machine setter
Electric arc welder
Journeyman/woman welder
Laser welding operator
Pressure vessel welder
Productionwelder
Soldering machine operator
Spot welder

British Columbia Construction Association

www.bccassn.com

This project is made possible through funding from

the Government of Canada with support from the Province of British Columbia.

www.WelcomeBC.ca

Updated November 2012