Welder
Welder
Contact Us
Dana Gard-Sweeney
Trades Enrolment Specialist
780 853 8445
780 214 1257
Ask me your questions
Coordination and concentration are two things you’ll need to be a welder.
If you are good with your hands, have good hand-eye coordination and pay attention to detail, this trade is for you.
Your apprenticeship is 3 years. Every year you have 8 weeks of classroom instruction and a minimum of 1,560 hours of on-the-job training.
About half of your training will be to improve your practical welding skills. The other half is about shop skills. Your learning space is our applied engineering wing of Lakeland’s Trades Centre.
Welding uses heat to melt and fuse metals together, or to separate them. You could be working with beams, girders, vessels, piping and other metal parts.
As well, welders make and repair metal parts for construction and manufacturing. You might weld parts, tools, machines and equipment.
You'll learn to use different processes depending upon the type of metal.
Often you'll work from a blue print or work order to complete a project.
Find work in a variety of industries, including:
- pressure welding construction
- commercial and industrial construction
- maintenance and equipment repair
- structural steel fabrication
Requirements
More program details
2026-27 Domestic
| Period | Tuition and program fees | Estimated books and supplies | Mandatory fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,168 | $321.45 | $224.25 |
| 2 | $1,168 | $257.40 | $224.25 |
| 3 | $1,168 | $225.40 | $224.25 |
Remember that studying includes other expenses than tuition and fees - you should also be budgeting for your accommodation and living expenses. Alberta student loan guidelines recommends $1,865/month.
Our tuition and fees page has details about academic, application and mandatory fees and their cost breakdown per term.
The following tables summarize the topics/skills for each of your three 240 hour (8 week) classroom instruction periods.
For complete details, check the welder course outline, or check welder on Tradesecrets, the Alberta government's Apprentice & Industry Training branch website.
| Subject |
Hours |
|---|---|
| Workplace safety and tools | 46 |
|
Welding technology and properties of metals |
48 |
| GMAW, FCAW, MCAW and SAW | 117 |
| Trades Math | 29 |
| Subject |
Hours |
|---|---|
| SMAW I | 89 |
| GTAW | 43 |
|
Pattern development and estimating |
43 |
| SMAW II | 65 |
| Subject |
Hours |
|---|---|
| SMAW III | 72 |
|
Welds on mild steel, plate and pipe |
104 |
| Drawing interpretation | 40 |
| Trades Science | 24 |
To see what day registration opens in May, check the 2026-2027 schedule on MyTradeSecrets.
See intake schedules for all apprenticeship intakes at Lakeland College.
To see other important dates such as when the college is closed, visit the academic year and term date page.
| Training period | Start and end dates |
|---|---|
| 1st period |
|
| 2nd period |
|
| 3rd period |
|
Refund/withdrawal policy
Full refund of fees less $100 if you withdraw up to 5 business days prior to the first day of class. No exceptions.
Bring personal protection equipment. You will be working in the shop the first day.
Required supplies
| Period | Supplies |
|---|---|
| 1st |
|
| 2nd |
All items listed in the 1st period (with the exception of MIG pliers), plus:
|
| 3rd |
All items listed in the 1st and 2nd period (with the exception of MIG pliers), plus:
|
If you have any questions, please contact:
- apprenticeship@lakelandcollege.ca
- 780 853 8500
Your journeyperson ticket can be a starting point, not an end point of your welding skills.
- You may take specific professional development courses. Lakeland offers some of those courses through trades continuing education.
- Take a second or third trade. See Alberta's Tradesecrets website for related trades. Related trades include:
- boilermaker
- metal fabricator (fitter)
- steamfitter-pipefitter
- welder - wire process operator
New credential
Alberta's new Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Education Act is adding another credential for successful journeypersons. Certificates through advanced diplomas will be granted based on the number of credits in the particular trade. One apprenticeship credit is equal to 300 on-the-jobs hours or 15 classroom hours. Your credential helps employers recognize your level of education as well as help you if you pursue further education.
Welders receive a diploma.
Red Seal
The Red Seal is a national designation. You earn it by passing an interprovincial exam. That means you can work anywhere in Canada with your Red Seal Endorsement (RSE). Currently not all trades have a red seal standard.
The Red Seal Program was created in 1952. It encourages the standardization of apprenticeship training and certification programs across Canada. A national occupational analysis of each of the 56 Red Seal trade is used as a base document for inter provincial exams and is encouraged for use in curriculum development. The Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) administers the program.
Explore the Red Seal trades in Alberta. For more information, check the Red Seal Website.
Lakeland also offers prep courses for Red Seal exams for anyone who hasn’t achieved their Red Seal seal status. See our trades continuing education.
Blue Seal
The Blue Seal is an Alberta program through the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board. It’s earned by taking approved business studies. Now a separate certificate, the program also has a new name: Achievement in Business Competencies (Blue Seal).
Complete details are available on the Blue Seal website.
If you have a valid Alberta Journeyperson Certificate, you are eligible to receive a Blue Seal after completing 150 hours of study in an approved business program. You can choose courses at Lakeland College.
Lakeland offers you the ability to take both online and face-to-face business courses. Take courses in our 1-year general business certificate. You'll need at least 4 courses to reach the minimum 150 hours to earn a Blue Seal. If you have the academic requirements, you could earn the certificate.
Please contact our business enrolment specialist for information about how to apply for courses.
Have questions about trades training at Lakeland? Browse our frequently asked questions for answers to common inquiries.
