In every welding company, there comes a time when you need to train novice welding students the critical skills to help them succeed. Here’s our list of the important skills to teach novice welding students as a welding instructor.

Safety Matters Most

When working around hot rods, it’s vital to teach welding students that safety matters most. When working with heat and electricity, teach your students about the attire they need to wear before handling any equipment. That way, they won’t have to worry about getting injured. For example, to prevent exposure to the arc, have workers wear safety glasses, a welding helmet, flame-resistant gloves, and a long-sleeved welding jacket.

Always Follow the Welding Procedures

You can sit there all day explaining how welding students can treat a welding procedure like a cake recipe, but it works more like a puzzle. With each piece inserted, you want to ensure that the parameters are met and that the tubing type used is appropriate for the project they’re working on. As they learn the procedures, ensure they take note of filler metal diameters to use when they’re doing a project.

Maintain the Work Environment

Not only is cleaning your area essential but so is maintaining the area. When inspecting the welded area, your welding students should know how to check that each part of the welding system works correctly. If there’s a problem, they need to identify it and follow a safe procedure to fix the trouble area. For instance, a new welder should understand how to properly maintain the connections used in their guns and should tighten the torch before working.

Welding is a great career, but it takes dedication to help your apprentices get to where they need to be. As a trainer, it’s essential to take note of the important skills to teach novice welding students so that you know where to focus your attention and what your students need to drill into their minds before becoming fully certified.