Welder - Assistant 1

Course Description

PMT0070C – Welder Assistant 1 is the foundational Postsecondary Adult Vocational (PSAV) clock-hour course in the Florida Welding Technology program (CIP 48.0508). The course aligns with the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) Curriculum Framework for Welding Technology and prepares students with the entry-level safety, theory, and basic skills required to work safely in a welding shop and to begin developing proficiency in welding processes used across the construction, manufacturing, and fabrication industries.

Students develop competencies in welding safety, the identification and proper use of welding equipment, oxyfuel cutting, plasma arc cutting, basic blueprint reading and welding symbols, weld joint design, base metal preparation, and an introduction to common welding processes (SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW). Coursework integrates classroom instruction with extensive hands-on shop practice using industry-standard equipment under the supervision of certified welding instructors.

This course is offered at approximately 36 Florida technical colleges as the first major module of the Florida PSAV Welding Technology program. Hours invested in PMT0070C count toward the program total (typically 1,050–1,170 clock hours depending on the institution) and prepare students for advancement into the Welder Assistant 2 module (PMT0071C) and subsequent specialty welding process courses.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Apply welding shop safety practices, including PPE selection and use (welding helmet with appropriate filter shade, leather jacket and gloves, safety glasses, respiratory protection where required, hearing protection), fire safety, hot work permits, ventilation, and emergency response.
• Identify and properly use basic hand tools and shop equipment, including chipping hammers, wire brushes, grinders, files, clamps, squares, soapstone, tip cleaners, and welding curtains.
• Identify and describe common welding processes at an awareness level: Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW/MIG), Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW), Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW/TIG), and oxyfuel welding (OFW).
• Perform oxyfuel cutting (OFC) safely on mild steel, including equipment setup, leak testing, lighting and adjusting flame, straight cuts, bevel cuts, hole piercing, and shutdown procedures.
• Perform plasma arc cutting (PAC) at the introductory level, including equipment setup, safety precautions, and basic cutting operations.
• Read and interpret basic welding blueprints and engineering drawings, including identifying views, dimensions, and tolerances.
• Read and interpret welding symbols per AWS A2.4 (Standard Symbols for Welding, Brazing, and Nondestructive Examination), including weld type, size, length, and location.
• Identify basic weld joint types (butt, lap, T, corner, edge) and welding positions (1G, 2G, 3G, 4G for groove welds; 1F, 2F, 3F, 4F for fillet welds).
• Perform base metal preparation, including cleaning, beveling, fit-up, tacking, and edge preparation appropriate for the joint and process.
• Identify common welding electrodes and filler metals at the introductory level, including AWS classification basics for SMAW electrodes.
• Apply basic mathematics for welders, including measurement, fractions, decimals, basic geometry (angles, area, volume), and reading the rule (English and metric).
• Demonstrate professional welding shop behavior, including punctuality, attendance, accountability, teamwork, and responding to instruction and feedback.

Optional Outcomes

• Complete OSHA 10-Hour General Industry or Construction safety certification (commonly included in or alongside this module).
• Begin introductory SMAW practice, including establishing arc, basic stringer beads in the flat position (typically more extensive in PMT0072C).
• Apply introductory GMAW/MIG practice with short-circuit transfer in the flat position.
• Apply introductory understanding of metallurgy, including common metals welded (carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum) and basic effects of heat on metal.

Major Topics

Required Topics

• The Welding Industry in Florida: Overview of the welding profession; industry sectors that employ welders (construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding, infrastructure, aerospace, energy); Florida welding employment landscape; certifications and credentials valued by Florida employers.
• Welding Shop Safety: PPE (welding helmet, lens shade selection, leather jacket and gloves, safety glasses, respirator, hearing protection); arc flash and arc-eye injuries; thermal burns; UV exposure; fume and gas hazards; ventilation requirements; respiratory protection (when required); fire prevention and hot work permits; cylinder handling and storage; OSHA welding standards (29 CFR 1910 Subpart Q).
• Welding Processes Overview: SMAW (stick welding); GMAW (MIG/MAG); FCAW; GTAW (TIG); OFW (oxyfuel welding); PAC (plasma arc cutting); OFC (oxyfuel cutting); selecting the right process for the application.
• Base Metals: Carbon steel grades; stainless steel families (austenitic, ferritic, martensitic); aluminum alloys; common applications; identifying base metals; basic effects of heat on metal.
• Filler Metals and Electrodes: AWS classification basics; SMAW electrodes (E6010, E6011, E6013, E7018, E7024 — the most common); GMAW solid wire (ER70S-6); FCAW wire (E71T-1); GTAW filler rods (ER70S-2 for steel, ER308L for stainless, ER4043/ER5356 for aluminum); storage and handling of low-hydrogen electrodes.
• Oxyfuel Cutting (OFC): Gas selection (oxygen + acetylene most common; propane, propylene); equipment (regulators, hoses, torch, tips); cylinder safety; leak testing (soap solution, never flame); lighting procedure; adjusting neutral, oxidizing, and carburizing flames; cutting straight lines, beveled edges, holes; pierce cutting; shutdown procedure.
• Plasma Arc Cutting (PAC): Equipment overview; safety; basic operation; advantages over OFC; cutting on different metals (steel, stainless, aluminum).
• Welding Blueprints: Reading drawings; views (front, top, side); dimensions and tolerances; section views; assembly drawings; bills of materials.
• Welding Symbols (AWS A2.4): Weld symbol vs. welding symbol; reference line and arrow; weld types (groove, fillet, plug, slot, surfacing); arrow side vs. other side; weld dimensions (size, length); supplementary symbols (contour, finish, weld-all-around, field weld).
• Joint Design and Weld Positions: Joint types (butt, lap, T, corner, edge); groove preparations (square, single-V, double-V, single-bevel, J-groove, U-groove); fillet weld terminology; welding positions for groove welds (1G, 2G, 3G, 4G — flat, horizontal, vertical, overhead); welding positions for fillet welds (1F, 2F, 3F, 4F).
• Base Metal Preparation: Cleaning (mechanical, chemical); beveling (grinder, oxyfuel, plasma); fit-up (root opening, alignment); tacking; pre-heating considerations.
• Welding Mathematics: Measurement (rule reading in English and metric); fractions and decimals; basic geometry (angles, area, volume); converting between units; calculating weld lengths; basic estimating.
• Hand Tools and Shop Equipment: Chipping hammer; wire brush; grinders (angle grinder, bench grinder); files; squares; clamps; soapstone and markers; tip cleaners; welding curtains and screens.
• Professional Behavior: Punctuality and attendance; following safety rules; respect for tools and shop; teamwork; responding to instruction; the welding apprenticeship culture.

Optional Topics

• OSHA 10-Hour: General Industry or Construction; awareness-level safety credential commonly required by Florida employers.
• Introductory Welding Practice: First arc-establishing exercises in SMAW; first MIG bead practice; flat-position bead practice (more extensive in subsequent modules).
• Introduction to Metallurgy: What happens to metal during welding; HAZ (heat-affected zone); preheat and post-heat concepts.
• Career Exploration: Welding career paths (production welder, fabricator, pipefitter, ironworker, boilermaker, certified welding inspector); pathways to industry certification and union apprenticeships.

Resources & Tools

• Common Texts: Welding: Principles and Applications (Jeffus), Welding Skills (Giachino/Weeks), Modern Welding (Althouse/Turnquist/Bowditch), Welding Essentials (Galvery/Marlow), Welder's Handbook (Finch); NCCER Welding curriculum materials
• Personal Equipment: Welding helmet (auto-darkening preferred); safety glasses; leather welding jacket; leather welding gloves; leather apron (where used); steel-toed boots; cap; hearing protection; respiratory protection (per shop requirement); chipping hammer/wire brush combo; combination square; tape measure; soapstone
• Shop Equipment: SMAW machines (Lincoln, Miller, ESAB); GMAW/FCAW machines; GTAW machines; oxyfuel cutting outfits; plasma cutters; welding tables and fixtures; clamps; angle grinders; chop saws; band saws; ventilation systems
• Reference Standards: American Welding Society (AWS) standards — AWS D1.1 (Structural Welding Code—Steel), AWS A2.4 (welding symbols), AWS A3.0 (welding terminology); FLDOE Curriculum Framework for Welding Technology (CIP 0648050801); OSHA welding standards (29 CFR 1910 Subpart Q, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart J)
• Professional Organizations: American Welding Society (AWS) — local sections in Florida; Florida AWS sections in Tampa Bay, Central Florida (Orlando), South Florida (Miami), Jacksonville, and others; National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER); Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International (FMA)
• Online Resources: AWS website (aws.org); Lincoln Electric education resources (lincolnelectric.com/education); Miller Electric MIG and stick welding tutorials (millerwelds.com)

Career Pathways

Successful completion of PMT0070C — as part of the full Florida Welding Technology PSAV program — supports entry into and advancement within the welding profession:

• Welder, Cutter, Solderer, and Brazer (SOC 51-4121) — Entry-level production welder, fabricator, and maintenance welder positions across many industries.
• Structural Welder — Construction, bridge, building steel work; often union-affiliated through Ironworkers Local 808 (Orlando), Local 272 (Miami), Local 597 (Tampa), Local 401 (Jacksonville).
• Pipe Welder / Pipefitter Welder — Process piping, refinery, power plant, and industrial pipefitting; UA Plumbers and Pipefitters local unions.
• Boilermaker Welder — Power plant, refinery, paper mill boiler and pressure vessel work.
• Shipbuilding Welder — Florida shipyards (Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, BAE Systems in Jacksonville, MHI in Tampa); Navy shipyards (Mayport).
• Aerospace Welder — Florida's substantial aerospace sector (Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, SpaceX, Blue Origin, NASA contractors on the Space Coast).
• Manufacturing Welder — Florida manufacturing employers across food processing, agricultural equipment, marine, and many other sectors.
• Welding Inspector (with additional credentialing) — AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) credential leads to inspection roles commanding higher pay and supervisory responsibility.
• Welding Educator (with additional teaching credential) — Florida technical college instruction.

Welding is consistently among the highest-demand skilled trades in Florida and nationally. The state's substantial construction, infrastructure, manufacturing, aerospace, and shipbuilding sectors all sustain strong continuous demand for skilled welders. Wages have risen substantially in recent years as the welding workforce has aged and replacement demand has accelerated.

Special Information

Position in the Program Sequence

PMT0070C is the first major module of the Florida PSAV Welding Technology program. Hours invested count toward the total program requirement (typically 1,050–1,170 hours, depending on institution). Students proceed through PMT0071C (Welder Assistant 2), then into specialty welding process modules (PMT0072C/PMT0073C SMAW; additional modules in GMAW, FCAW, GTAW, and pipe welding), culminating in performance qualification testing.

Industry Certification

The Florida welding program prepares students for industry-recognized credentials:

• AWS Performance Qualification — Performance qualification tests (PQT) under AWS D1.1 (Structural Welding Code—Steel) and other AWS codes. Performance qualifications are typically position-specific (1G, 2G, 3G, 4G) and process-specific (SMAW, GMAW, etc.). Welders earn additional qualifications as they expand their skill set.
• NCCER Welding — Industry credential with portable transcript recognized across the construction industry.
• OSHA 10-Hour or 30-Hour — Safety credentials commonly required by Florida construction employers.
• AWS Certified Welder (CW) — Standardized certification; an advanced credential that can be earned at AWS Accredited Test Facilities (some Florida technical colleges are ATFs).

Articulation

Florida technical college PSAV welding programs may articulate to Florida college Welding Technology A.S./A.A.S. programs at participating institutions, particularly for graduates pursuing careers in welding inspection, welding engineering technology, or welding instruction. Students should consult the receiving institution for specific articulation credit awards.

Workplace Considerations

Welding is physically demanding work involving heat, fumes, awkward positions, and outdoor work in many roles. Florida's hot, humid climate adds to the physical demand of welding work. Programs introduce students to professional habits supporting long-term career sustainability — proper hydration, appropriate respiratory protection, ergonomic awareness, hearing protection, and care of vision (welding-related cataracts and other eye effects from cumulative exposure).