Troy Sarchfield says he's always taken satisfaction in creating things out of raw materials.
That's one of the aspects he likes best about the welding industry.
"It's a good feeling to know that you can take metal forms and turn them into something," he said.
"You can make components that can be used in anything from the pulp-and-paper industry to the transportation industry."
Sarchfield's interest in welding began when he took a basic welding course in high school.
After graduation, he moved from his hometown of Glassville to Moncton.
He completed a one-year, pre-employment welding course at the New Brunswick Community College's campus in the hub city.
Following his training, Sarchfield worked on many different welding projects.
"As a welder I worked on structural-steel components, pipeline components, mill equipment and aircraft components," he said.
"I
enjoyed every bit of it ... I've done some repair, but most of what I
did was brand new equipment, built from the ground up. My duties would
include fabrication, which means to help build things, and then after I
would weld the components up using various welding processes."
After
a number of years, he returned to NBCC Moncton, where he completed a
welding engineering technology program and began working as a welding
inspector.
In this role, Sarchfield made sure practising welders
were properly certified and were following the proper procedures and
guidelines.
Since September, he's worked as an instructor for
NBCC Woodstock's welding program. He said he enjoys sharing his
knowledge and experience.
"I like being able to help the next generation of welders," he said.
He said the thrill of making new things is the best part of welding for him, but there are other aspects he enjoys as well.
"I like problem solving, especially from the inspecting side of it," he said.
"I always liked putting things together and working things out."
Sarchfield said welding isn't for everyone, as it can be a physically demanding occupation that requires a great deal of focus.
"For certain aspects of it, you have to be somewhat physically fit," he said.
"It
can involve climbing, and there's a fair amount of importance on safety
with it as well. You're dealing with electricity, and it's possible to
hurt yourself if you don't follow proper safety guidelines."
He
said a welder might work in any number of fields, from a
food-processing plant or a pulp-and-paper mill to a manufacturing firm
or the mining industry.
Jim Reid, manager of Atlantic operations
for the Canadian Welding Bureau, said there are many less obvious or
traditional uses for welding.
"Aerospace is a huge market
nowadays. A lot of welding components go into parts of aircrafts. In
medicine, welding can go into implanted devices," he said.
"Almost
everything manufactured from metal requires some degree of putting
those components together. Welding is apparent in almost everything
around us from the chairs we're sitting in to the desks in front of us."
Reid
said that most incoming welders today take a one- or two-year course at
a community college. From there, they can take more specialty training
if they want to move into a more specific component of welding.
He said in the next few years, there's going to be a definite need for new welders across the country.
"There are roughly 300,000 people in Canada involved in the welding trade," he said.
"About
half of those individuals are close to retirement age. Over the past
few years, there's been a big increase in the capacity at many
community colleges to be sure we have enough people ready to replace
these individuals that are going to retire."
Reid said the
welding industry involves more technology now than ever before. He said
that means it's vital that welders receive proper, updated training
when they're starting out.
"We're seeing a shift in the technology people have to be trained on, and what they have to get used to using," he said.
"Most welders now are going through proper, professional training, whereas in the past, many were trained on the job."
In
New Brunswick, Sarchfield said, welders will undergo a three-year
apprenticeship after finishing college. After that, an apprentice can
write a test to apply for his or her journeyperson status.
He said many people don't realize the amount of specialized training and experience it takes to become qualified as a welder.
"I've
been around the welding trade since 1988, and the biggest misconception
I find is that a lot of people think that if they can weld two pieces
of steel together and it doesn't fall apart, they're a welder," he said.
"There's
a lot more to it than that. The proper training allows them to know the
various processes that are out there. There are probably 100 different
processes and mechanisms used to weld in different circumstances to
create different things.
"Without training, the average person wouldn't know about any of that."
ALEXANDRA DAVIS
DAILY GLEANER