Have any of you been through the Tusla Welding School program? Recently? If so, would you recommend it? What, if anything could they have done better? My son is a senior this year and we toured their facility in Houston today. He's by no means married to TWS, but he has chosen welding as the career path he wants to pursue. Thanks.
- Thread starter hlee
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When I was in welding school 15 years Tulsa was the talk of the town even in Kansas. So I don’t know how good it is anymore but it used to be the gold standard. (From what I understood). How is their job placement after graduation. Where I went the school had a 98% placement and I know my former instructor is still there. You could go anywhere in the country and work. He was a previous pipeliner and had contacts everywhere.
Thought you were going to ask about making a bridge. Curious how that turned out.
Good choice. Specialize. Underwater Hard Hat Diver/Welders and Nuclear certified welders can name their own price.
Underwater welder Annual Salary: $38,000 – $147,000
Nuclear Certified Welder Annual Salary: $22,000 – $143,500
Underwater welder Annual Salary: $38,000 – $147,000
Nuclear Certified Welder Annual Salary: $22,000 – $143,500
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Pro's and cons....
My brief history. Worked non-Union of the Gulf Coast / Oil patch / rig welder. Built enough years of experience and joined UA Local 250 (Los Angeles). Traveled and worked all over America. Retired in Montana. My UA Pension pays my house note.... I have some young men here who have welding certifications while still in high school. When they get that high school diploma in hand, I will bring them to meet the Apprentice School directors of the Steamfitters, Electricians, Boilermakers and Iron-workers. Each have schools for apprentices that actually teach them to become a Journeyman. These programs are 4 - 5 year commitments. Apprentice works in the trade and then goes to school 3 - 4 nights a week. It can be a grueling process. Many wash out. From day one an apprentice builds benefits.... Medical insurance, retirement plan, vacation / holiday fund, etc. Plus drawing a living wage.
The non-Union craftsman has a shorter time frame to become a journeyman. When a welder can pass a pipe welding test, he goes to work. What he lacks is the "schooling". I failed geometry in high school because it was not tied to anything practical. After pipe fitting for 25 years, geometry was second nature. It was used every day. The non-Union welder is pigeon holed to being a "Welder". That becomes boring after a few years. Difficult to move up unless a relative owns the construction company. When I retired I had "ZERO" benefits built up from my years in the non-Union arena.
In your situation a lot depends on your son's "drive".... It is not an easy world... Regardless if he goes Union or Non-Union.
Questions ?
Non-Union, Louisiana.....................Union, Boardman, OR............................ Clean Room, Oregon ................ Non-Union, Louisiana....................... Oceaneering
My brief history. Worked non-Union of the Gulf Coast / Oil patch / rig welder. Built enough years of experience and joined UA Local 250 (Los Angeles). Traveled and worked all over America. Retired in Montana. My UA Pension pays my house note.... I have some young men here who have welding certifications while still in high school. When they get that high school diploma in hand, I will bring them to meet the Apprentice School directors of the Steamfitters, Electricians, Boilermakers and Iron-workers. Each have schools for apprentices that actually teach them to become a Journeyman. These programs are 4 - 5 year commitments. Apprentice works in the trade and then goes to school 3 - 4 nights a week. It can be a grueling process. Many wash out. From day one an apprentice builds benefits.... Medical insurance, retirement plan, vacation / holiday fund, etc. Plus drawing a living wage.
The non-Union craftsman has a shorter time frame to become a journeyman. When a welder can pass a pipe welding test, he goes to work. What he lacks is the "schooling". I failed geometry in high school because it was not tied to anything practical. After pipe fitting for 25 years, geometry was second nature. It was used every day. The non-Union welder is pigeon holed to being a "Welder". That becomes boring after a few years. Difficult to move up unless a relative owns the construction company. When I retired I had "ZERO" benefits built up from my years in the non-Union arena.
In your situation a lot depends on your son's "drive".... It is not an easy world... Regardless if he goes Union or Non-Union.
Questions ?
Non-Union, Louisiana.....................Union, Boardman, OR............................ Clean Room, Oregon ................ Non-Union, Louisiana....................... Oceaneering
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Good choice. Specialize. Underwater Hard Hat Diver/Welders and Nuclear certified welders can name their own price.
Underwater welder Annual Salary: $38,000 – $147,000
Nucleat Certified Welder Annual Salary: $22,000 – $143,500
Who are the unlucky saps at the bottom of the pay scale for those two specialties?
I don’t know much about it, but the bottom of the salary range seems retarded.
The apprentice....
Non-union pipeline welders can make $300k if they're mobile with their own truck and welder. Just takes motivation to get to the jobs, show up sober, and be safe.
I know quite a few with paid off houses and retired by 50. They saved and invested themselves and were their own boss for 30 years.
One thing I've found with union anything. See if the pension is secured and fully funded. They're recruiting like crazy right now, as a lot of them have only partially funded pensions and they'll all go away if they don't keep the Ponzi scheme running.
It was comical watching the carpenters go from 20 to 25 to 30 years for a full pension over the course of 1 year. Guys with 18-19 years in were looking like they may kill anyone at any moment.
Thank you.
Skip the big schools, go to a community college instead. PM me if you want to pick my brain, be glad to have a phone call.
Does he have any idea what kind of welding he wants to do? That would play a big part in where I'd want to go to school for it and how much I'd want to spend on schooling.
There is a lot to consider.
When I left the trade I was the man doing the drawings for the rest of the crew. I was paid "Above Scale" (Per diem) with a lot of other perks.
So... As chevy_man stated, depends on a man / woman's motivation. A motivated person will do well, regardless of the career path they take.
Bigfatcock Pointed out the "bottom of the pay scale"... That is where all apprentices start put. No one starts at the top.
I can speak, well educated, on both sides of the coin. The young people of today are lazy. The Mexican's framing houses will soon be welding pipe. They already are in Texas. They work cheap and live 10 people in a garage. I would not want my son competing with them.
As I said, I am retired. When looking at the Heavy Industrial Construction World I say "Not my Circus, not my Monkey's"...
First photo is of my Rig Truck at that time we were making $16/ hr, furnishing all the consumables. Second photo is me "Detailing". Wage package there was around $75 / hr. and I furnished no tools.
When I left the trade I was the man doing the drawings for the rest of the crew. I was paid "Above Scale" (Per diem) with a lot of other perks.
So... As chevy_man stated, depends on a man / woman's motivation. A motivated person will do well, regardless of the career path they take.
Bigfatcock Pointed out the "bottom of the pay scale"... That is where all apprentices start put. No one starts at the top.
I can speak, well educated, on both sides of the coin. The young people of today are lazy. The Mexican's framing houses will soon be welding pipe. They already are in Texas. They work cheap and live 10 people in a garage. I would not want my son competing with them.
As I said, I am retired. When looking at the Heavy Industrial Construction World I say "Not my Circus, not my Monkey's"...
First photo is of my Rig Truck at that time we were making $16/ hr, furnishing all the consumables. Second photo is me "Detailing". Wage package there was around $75 / hr. and I furnished no tools.
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