Amen

I took a 3-year welder apprentice course when I worked at the steel mill. We welded 40 hours a week using 3/16 6010. We had a 1-inch thick 7-piece test that you had to pass within 6 months, or you went back into the labor gang. The test was for flat, vertical, horizontal, and overhead. You took the test at the weld-shop, not the department you worked at so nobody knew. You had 2 chances to pass. You had 4 hours to take it. If you passed, you went to the next step, which was a pipe class. If you failed, you had 30 days to retake the test. The pipe test was harder because it was designed to be completed and pressure tested. You could use 5/32 6010 for this test. If you failed, you could retake it in 30 days. Same rules you fail twice, back to the labor gang. The final course, which was also a test, was the same pipe test, but you welded with oxy/acetylene welding, not stick. Yes, that was all we did: practice every day. We were not to weld anything until you passed a test. A lot of students did not pass because it was burning rods all day for 8 hrs. You really hurried the practice, because burning rods on plates and pipes all day was boring. The real welders who passed the tests were making overtime and doing less work than an apprentice. When you passed all the tests, you could play with Mig and Tig.