How To Get A Job As A Boilermaker
Boilermakers are highly skilled individuals who are responsible for constructing, installing, and maintaining containers that hold liquids and gasses. They also fabricate and install equipment used in dams, water treatment plants, and blast furnaces. To be a successful boilermaker, you must be physically fit, enjoy working with your hands, have an interest in all aspects of metal work, and be willing to work long hours, occasionally on shifts.
Boilermakers may work in enclosed workshops or outdoors on site. The job may involve working in stuffy enclosed spaces. Boilermakers use power tools, grinding tools, and acetylene torches, often on ladders at great heights. Because the work is hazardous, Boilermakers follow strict safety precautions. They must often wear safety harnesses and use protective clothing such as heavy gloves, safety goggles, masks, hard hats, and sometimes breathing equipment.
Boilermakers must first read the blueprints for the job they are to perform. As the final product is constructed in sections, templates must be made. With these the metal pieces are cut into the desired shapes using hand or power tools as well as flame cutting torches. These pieces are then molded into shape and moved into position. If the pieces are too large to transport, they may be constructed on site, and moved into place by the use of cranes. The perfectly formed parts are then joined together by welding, or by the use of bolts or rivets.
Because the containers and structures created by Boilermakers will last upwards of forty years, constant maintenance is needed. This involves the repairing and replacing of the worn parts by Boilermakers.
Education
Experience is vital for prospective Boilermakers. Although some candidates obtain formal training at a technical school followed by practical experience provided by an employer, a formal apprenticeship program is preferable.
Apprenticeship programs are paid on-the-job training programs which provide academic and practical experience in all aspects of the trade. Apprenticeship programs usually last four years. To qualify for an apprenticeship program, you must be eighteen years of age, and have a GED, or High School Diploma. Having some welding experience is a decided asset. Once you have completed an apprenticeship program you are considered to be a registered Journey-Level worker.
If you are interested in applying for a position in an apprenticeship program, inquire at your local Vocational School or the Vocational Department of your local High School. Unions usually advertise when there is an opening in an apprenticeship program.
As new techniques and materials are constantly being developed, the education of a Boilermaker is ongoing throughout his/her career. This is a demanding, challenging, yet highly rewarding career for those who have the right qualifications. Skilled Boilermakers can advance to become supervisors, and educators. There is a growing demand for Boilermakers.
