The earliest recorded example of welding we know about dates back to 2,000 B.C. during the Bronze Age. How do we know this? Historians found small gold circular boxes that show evidence of welding. These welders forge-welded two pieces of metal together and hammered them to make one solid piece. 

Welding has, of course, made some significant improvements since then.  

Also, did you know that in space, when two pieces of metal come into contact with one another, they become instantly welded together? Sound crazy? It only works for metal pieces that are bare or highly polished that don’t have any coating. This is called cold welding, and the metallic bonds that hold atoms together in each piece of metal bridge the gap to create one single, solid piece of metal. 

This doesn’t happen on earth because the atmosphere creates a layer of oxidation between the two metals, which means they won’t instantly weld together without the use of a welding tool. 

We’ve made advancements since the Bronze Age, and we don’t have the benefit of no atmosphere like we do in space.  This means there’s a high demand for skilled, trained welders. 

The Need for Training

According to a study conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers, 60 percent of manufacturers have to reject half of all applicants because they lack the basic skills needed to do the job—welders included. 

Why is this? Entry-level skills needed for welding and manufacturing have become more sophisticated, which means that more education and training are needed to get hired. 

The American Welding Society and Finding the Right Training Program

It’s important to know that not all welding education programs are created equal. You might take a quick course and learn a few skills to get you started, but that doesn’t prepare you to accept a position tackling difficult welding jobs or incredibly specific ones. 

Some welders learn a little bit on the job. Their employer may determine that they are qualified to do the job, but this is based on their own requirements and may not be up to the standards of all welding employers. These welders may have a hard time finding a new job later on because they don’t have all the knowledge they need to succeed in any welding environment. 

The American Welding Society (AWS) knows that a full, comprehensive training program is essential to the success of welders. They have created an AWS SENSE Program to help welding educators get their students fully ready for the workforce. SENSE stands for Schools Excelling through National Skills standards Education.

The AWS SENSE Program is a comprehensive set of minimum standards and guidelines for welding education programs. Participating schools incorporate SENSE guidelines into their own curriculum to ensure that their education is consistent with other SENSE schools across the nation. 

Why does this matter for you as a student? It means that when you train through an AWS SENSE school, you’re better equipped to take on any welding job; you’re more hireable!

Getting Your Welding Training at the Center for Employment Training

At the Center for Employment Training (CET), we take our work very seriously. It is our goal to prepare our students as best we can for the real world so they can step out of our classrooms and into a profitable job. 

To ensure that this happens, we have worked hard to earn our name as an American Welding Society SENSE school. While we offer welding education programs in multiple locations, our CET San Diego location is an official American Welding Society Sense-approved educational institution. 

Don’t just walk into the welding workforce without the training you need to be successful or the universal skills you need to be able to be hired as a welder in any environment. At CET, we’ll get you job ready as a welder to take on any welding job. 

It’s time to start training. Contact us today to get started or learn more about what we can do for you!