Butte College

Course Outline

2026-2027 Catalog

WLD 56 - Welding Industry Employment Preparation

Catalog Description

Transfer Status
CSU
Prerequisite
WLD 22, WLD 24, WLD 25, WLD 26, WLD 40, WLD 50, WLD 154 and NCCER Level II Welding Qualification
Corequisite
WLD 28, WLD 30, WLD 32, WLD 34, WLD 36, WLD 42, WLD 156
Unit(s)
3.00
  • Lecture: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)
  • Total: 51.00 Contact hours/102.00 Out of class hours/153.00 Total hours/3.00 Unit(s)

Course Description: This course teaches job seeking skills demanded of welders in the industry today. Topics include a comparison of prospective employers within the welding industry, preparation for taking employment required skills tests, portfolio development, job-specific interview techniques and work place ethics and professionalism.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

  1. Construct a professional welding career portfolio.
  2. Compare prospective employers within the welding industry.
  3. Demonstrate communication and presentation skills for job seeking, interviewing and negotiating.
  4. Complete mock job interviews with local welding industry professionals.
  5. Complete sample preemployment written tests specific for a career in welding.

Course Content

Topic Titles / Suggested Time Topic

Lecture

Lecture topics and suggested hours
TopicsLec Hrs

Introduction and safety related to verbal communication in a technical interview process

1.00

Careers within the welding industry
a. Compare employment options
   1. Types of welding
   2. Welders skill level
   3. Labor market trends
   4. Employers within the industry
      

4.00

Conducting a job search
a. Internet search
   1. On-campus career center
b. Networking
   1. American Welding Society (AWS) meeting
   2. Industry tours
c. Other job search resources

4.00

Employment considerations and requirements
a. Drug-testing
b. Background check
c. Ethics and professionalism on the job

4.00

Preparing for pre-employment testing
a. Written tests
   1. Procedure qualification records (PQR's)
   2. Welding procedure sheets (WPS's)
   3. Welding procedure qualification test records (WPQTR's)
   4. Shop drawings
   5. Welding symbols
   6. Welding calculations
   7. Layout and design of welding projects
b. Skills tests
   1. Following PQR's
   2. Following WPS's
   3. Following WPQTR's
   4. Shop drawings
   5. Welding symbols
   6. Welding calculations
   7. Layout and design of welding projects
   8. Welding positions
   9. Welding processes
   10. Code weld tests
   11. Type of non-destructive testing (NDT) or destructive testing (DT) methods used

16.00

Creating a portfolio
a. Resume and cover letter
b. Letters of reference
c. Obtaining and using transcripts
d. Certificates, diplomas, awards, and AWS and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) welding certifications
e. Welding projects/welding skill photos
   1. PQR's
   2. WPS's
   3. WPQTR's
   4. Shop drawings
   5. Welding symbols
f. Additional welding samples of professional competences

10.00

The job interview
a. Preparation for the interview: attire, behavior, and ethics
b. Mock interview
c. Post interview follow-up

12.00
Total Hours:51.00

Methods of Instruction

  1. Discussion
  2. Guest Speakers
  3. Homework: Students are required to complete two hours of outside-of-class homework for each hour of lecture
  4. Instructor Demonstrations
  5. Lecture
  6. Multimedia Presentations

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Exams/Tests
  2. Quizzes
  3. Portfolios
  4. Mid-term and final examinations
  5. Homework assignments, Mock interview

Examples of Assignments

Reading Assignments

  1. Read assigned Wall Street Journal article and be prepared to discuss in class.
  2. Read module 2 and be prepared to discuss in class.

Writing Assignments

  1. Write an essay explaining how the assigned Wall Street Journal article can be implemented into a resume and how it relates to the class.
  2. Prepare a resume and cover letter for employment within the welding industry.

Out-of-Class Assignments

  1. Create a job portfolio.
  2. Create a job portfolio for use during an interview.

Recommended Materials of Instruction

AWS Committee on Methods of Inspection. (2000). Welding Inspection. AWS, 3rd.

McCabe and McCabe. (1993). Writing Effective Resumes: A Complete Guide. South-Western Publishing Co..

National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). (2010). Welding Level Three. Pearson Education INC, 4th.

National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). (2010). Welding Level Two. Pearson Education INC, 4th.

Reardon, Lenz, Sampson, Peterson. (2000). Career Development & Planning: A Comprehensive Approach.. Delmar, 2nd.

Minimum Qualifications

Business (Masters Required)

Welding