Safety Training Focus
Safety Knowledge
38 hours of comprehensive safety training
Practical Application
Hands-on safety procedures
Certification
Safety certification completion
The program begins with an extensive 38-hour Safety for Fabrication Welder course in Quarter 1, establishing a solid foundation in workplace safety protocols before students advance to technical welding skills.
Year 1: Fabrication Welder Fundamentals
Quarter 1 - Fabrication Welder Fundamentals (64 hours)
- Safety for Fabrication Welder (38 hours)
- Basic Employability (8 hours)
- Basic Communication (8 hours)
- Hand & Power Tools (10 hours)
Quarter 2 - Fabrication Welder Fundamentals II (70 hours)
- Introduction to Arc Welding (50 hours)
- Introduction to Basic Welding (20 hours)
Quarter 3 - Fabrication Welder Fundamentals III (70 hours)
- Introduction to Trade Math (10 hours)
- Welding Theory (30 hours)
- Introduction to Oxyacetylene Welding & Brazing (30 hours)
Year 2: Welding Technologies
Quarter 4
Introduction to Shielded Metal Arc Welding (40 hours)
Introduction to Wire Feeding Welding (30 hours)
Quarter 5
Introduction to Blueprint Reading (20 hours)
Introduction to Metallurgy (25 hours)
Rigging Basics (20 hours)
Quarter 6
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) (35 hours)
Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) II (35 hours)
Year 3: Advanced Welding Technologies
Quarter 7 - Advanced Welding Technologies (70 hours)
- Advanced Blueprint Reading II (20 hours)
- Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) (50 hours)
Quarter 8 - Advanced Welding Technologies II (70 hours)
- Intermediate Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) (35 hours)
- Advanced Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) (35 hours)
Quarter 9 - Advanced Welding Technologies II (65 hours)
- Communication & Documentation (10 hours)
- Leadership (15 hours)
- Advanced Welding Lab (40 hours)
Welding Techniques Progression
Basic Welding
Introduction to Arc Welding and Basic Welding techniques (70 hours)
Specialized Techniques
Oxyacetylene, SMAW, and Wire Feeding methods (100 hours)
Advanced Applications
GMAW, FCAW, and GTAW advanced techniques (155 hours)
Mastery
Advanced Welding Lab for practical application (40 hours)
Program Hours Distribution
The Machinists Institute's Fabrication Welder Apprenticeship Program consists of 614 total hours of instruction spread across 9 quarters over 3 years. Each quarter focuses on specific skill areas with a balanced distribution of hours to ensure comprehensive training.
Professional Development Components
Technical Skills
- Hand & Power Tools (10 hours)
- Multiple Welding Techniques (SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW)
- Blueprint Reading (40 hours total)
- Metallurgy (25 hours)
Safety & Theory
- Safety for Fabrication Welder (38 hours)
- Welding Theory (30 hours)
- Rigging Basics (20 hours)
Professional Development
- Basic Employability (8 hours)
- Basic Communication (8 hours)
- Communication & Documentation (10 hours)
- Leadership (15 hours)