Jim’s Cover Pass: Prepping welding students to meet the needs of local industry

Jim Mosman gives a fellow instructor tips to develop welders who can make an immediate impact on local industry. Getty Images

Q: We want our students to be certified up to 1-in. carbon steel plate so they can work in the local manufacturing and agriculture industry. We have recommended that our school teach the students on ½-in. steel plate with backing in the flat, vertical-up, and overhead positions. Other instructors have students weld on 3/8-in. plate, but that only qualifies them to weld up to ¾-in. material. What do you recommend is the best option?

A: I have a few suggestions for you to consider. First, assemble an advisory council comprising some people from your local industry to help determine specific requirements welders will need to meet for entry-level employment. Each company has specific qualifications and testing procedures, and that information would be very beneficial for your students to know ahead of time. You should also determine what welding processes and electrodes local companies are using to manufacture their products.

Any school or training institution that administers welder qualification tests should have one or more welding procedure specifications (WPS) that previously has been qualified to a specific welding code. I also recommend that the qualification test record or certification include the statement “For Educational Purposes Only” in a prominent location. These records help your students gain confidence and help employers select potential candidates for hire.

The WPS previously mentioned will determine the range of required variables used for the weld tests. My suggestion is that students practice and test on the 3/8-in. plate because that’s what’s commonly used in industry and because it’s more cost-effective for the school. Half-inch plate is more expensive and produces more scrap. The hardest part of the groove weld is always the root pass and then the cover pass. Let the students practice those parts until they are comfortable before attempting it with a thicker material with more filler passes.

For those students that have mastered the skills to weld the 3/8-in. plate, you can give them the option of doing a 1-in. unlimited weld test. Again, have a WPS available for the student to follow all of the variables. They also will need adequate time in the lab to complete the weld.

The 1-in.-plate weld tests are extremely expensive. If your advisory council members request that students be introduced to qualifying for this unlimited-thickness weld test, they should also be willing to donate the 1-in. plate to your program. To enhance the training experience, bring in a couple of certified welding inspectors (they should also be on your advisory council) on a Saturday for a student testing day near the end of your semester. A testing day is an excellent opportunity for your students to display the skills they have learned and introduce them to your advisory members at the end of the day.