Who is a welder?
A welder is an artisan or a worker skilled in welding or closely related field. Welding is a fabrication process in which two or more pieces of metal are fused together using electric power/ electricity. Welders use hand held equipment’s to cut metal parts and join them together using gas flame, or an electric arc, thermite compound or other methods.

Other closely related title(s)

1. Arc welder
2. Fabricator
3. Assembler
4. Brazer
5. Solderer
6. Cutter

What is the work environment?
Welders may work both indoor and outdoor environments.

Some important skills to have
To work effectively, welders need to have some important skills and qualities such as;

1. Safety awareness to avoid or reduce accidents & injuries associated with welding tools and equipment
2. Unafraid of heights as welders may work at raised levels in areas like construction sites
3. Technical skills/ welding techniques
4. Physical stamina/ strength
5. Ability to work with hands
6. Detail oriented
7. Communication skills
8. Listening skills to understand what customers need
9. Interpersonal skills
10. Basic math’s skills
11. Accuracy & precision
12. Ability to interpret blueprints/ or drawings

What are some career opportunities?
Welders can find work in various places such as; Construction & engineering sector, metal/steel manufacturing firms, welding contractors, industrial maintenance & repair sector, automobile sector, shipbuilding, aerospace sector, railway sector, electric power sector, natural gas distribution, pipeline distribution, other businesses and government departments among other areas.

Welders can also use their creativity and start their own profit making ventures (self-employment).

Becoming a welder 

Admission requirements
To pursue a career as a welder right from high school, a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), mean grade E is required. 

Training & Study options
With a KCSE mean grade E, you can proceed to a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college and enroll for an appropriate artisan course. Artisan courses are also offered within Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) within your region.

So what course(s) can you pursue in TVET colleges?

1. Artisan in arc welding
2. Artisan in welding and fabrication
3. Or other similar/ related courses

Education Progression
After a successful completion of an artisan course, you can advance your education upward (in a relevant field) up to university level if that’s your goal. How is this possible?

1. Get an artisan certificate
2. Advance to craft certificate, (in a relevant field)
3. Advance to diploma certificate, (in a relevant field)
4. Advance to degree certificate, (in a relevant field)

How to Join TVET College.
There are two ways you can follow to join training institution(s) in pursuit of your career of choice. The majority way is applying through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (Kuccps). This is a state owned agency that admits/ places government sponsored students to TVET colleges and universities. One of the advantages of applying through Kuccps is that, upon successful placement, you will pay subsidized fee as a government sponsored student.

To be placed through Kuccps you must have attained a certain pass mark required for various education levels such as degrees, diplomas, certificates and artisan courses. For an artisan course, you need a KCSE mean grade E. For more details on placement criteria, visit Kuccps website. The second approach is applying directly to training institution of your choice. Students who opt to apply this way do not get government fee subsidy and are therefore self-sponsored.

How to fund your post-secondary education.
If you are a needy student, upon application, you can get education loan from Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), a state owned institution that gives education loans to students joining technical colleges and universities. You can also access education bursaries from your local Member of Parliament (MP) or the County Government among other sources.

Always remember this!
Information provided on this website is for career awareness only, and not for any other purpose.

We know career life will take a significant part of your life journey, and your career choice will greatly influence how that journey unfolds. Therefore, before you make any career choice, before you commit yourself to any career or study option, be sure of what you are doing. It is advisable to seek professional advice from career advisors to navigate this very important process.

Need more information? We can provide you with additional career and education related information to meet your individual needs.