Welder Foundation

Learn a variety of practical welding skills, including cutting, fusion and gas welding, all required to work as an apprentice welder.

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Campus

  • Kelowna
  • Vernon
  • Penticton
  • Salmon Arm
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Legend:
  • Full program offered
  • Partial program offered

Credential

Certificate

Delivery options

Full-Time

Tuition and fees

2023-24: $4,475.12 (Kelowna, Penticton, Salmon Arm) $4,533.92 (Vernon)

  • Fees include all mandatory fees: Activity fee, Health & Dental, Student Association fee, Education Technology fee, Development fee.

  • All amounts are approximate and are subject to change.

  • Detailed domestic tuition and fees information

Program details

If you have any questions about how a course or program is delivered, you can check the Trades website, email the Department Chair or email the Trades & Apprenticeship office:

Apprenticeship: apprenticeship@okanagan.bc.ca

Foundation and General Interest: trades@okanagan.bc.ca

This 28-week (840 hour) program takes students with little or no previous experience in the welding trade and supplies them with the necessary skills to seek employment in this industry as an apprentice or foundation welder. The course exposes the students to many aspects of the welding trade with a focus on developing practical skills. Graduates of this program will have technical training for level 1 & 2 and 300 work based hours and have the opportunity to write the Standardized Level Exam at the end of the course.

The Welder Foundation program prepares students to enter the Welder Apprenticeship program. Students who successfully complete the foundation program and are active registered apprentices with the ITA can go into Level 3 of the Welder Apprenticeship program and then write the inter-provincial exam for Red Seal certification at the end of the course:

Applicants who have not satisfied the Math admission requirement within the last seven years, and/or do not meet the English admission requirement, must write the TEA Math and/or English test. Both of the assessments are online, multiple-choice and timed. Applicants are allotted 1 hour to complete each section (2 hours for both). A practice assessment and study resources are offered to all applicants who register to write the TEA.  Calculators are not allowed while completing the Math section; applicants who are observed to use a calculator of any sort will receive a grade of zero.  Applicants who do not achieve the minimum passing requirement on their initial attempt, are offered a second attempt at no additional cost after a two-week study period. 

Please ensure you write the assessment, and any required re-writes, prior to the deadline for admissions requirements provided by the Registrar’s office. For more information or to register for the Trades Entrance Assessment, click here. Further questions can be directed to the Trades and Apprenticeship office at trades@okanagan.bc.ca.

Please note: Applicants who successfully completed the ABLE test at Okanagan College within the two years prior to application for admission shall have their results accepted as equivalent to the Trades Entrance Assessment. 

Required textbooks
  • CWB BC Welding Foundation Package: $482.49
  • Blueprint Reading for Welders: $173.79
  • IPT's Metal Trades and Welding Handbook: $28.79
  • PPM Math for Welders: $112.79
  • Total: $797.86

Important information - price update.

5% GST is not included in price. Price is subject to change.


Required supplies
  • clear lens face shield for grinding
  • leather welding gloves
  • CSA-approved leather work boots (steel toed)
  • safety glasses
  • tinted face shield for oxy-fuel welding and cutting OR goggles
  • welding helmet
  • 3M 6200 respirator + 3M P100 filters
  • long sleeved non-synthetic (cotton) shirt and long pants (jeans)
  • binder and paper
  • pencils, pens, erasers

All safety equipment and clothing is required the first day of class

Government-issued picture ID is required to write the provincial and national exams: driver's licence, photo ID or valid passport. Student ID cards are not acceptable.


Tools

You can supply the below tools yourself or you can purchase a set from the Welding Department ($445).

  • tool box 21” approx. (metal)
  • combo square
  • awl
  • 10R vise grip
  • ¾ flat chisel
  • 2 x 11R vise clamps
  • tip cleaner
  • wire brush
  • ball peen hammer
  • 1-10” crescent wrench
  • chipping hammer
  • tape measure
  • soapstone holder w/ soapstone
  • 14” half round bastard with handle
  • slip joint pliers
  • hack saw and blade
  • center punch
  • side cutters or mig. pliers
  • striker

Important information

You can supply the above tools yourself or you can purchase a set from the Welding Department ($445). If you want to purchase your tools from the Welding Department, this can be done on the first day of class. An invoice will be given to you from the Welding tool room and the payment to be made at the Kelowna Trades and Apprenticeship office or the Admissions Office at other campuses. Should you decide to supply your own tools, the list provided is the minimum requirement. All tools on this list must be present for you to proceed with this program.

Please note these prices are subject to change.

The textbook list above was current at the time it was posted and may be used for initial planning purposes. Please check back with the bookstore 2 weeks before your program starts under Current Book List for a final, updated list of book titles and prices, and to order!

Textbooks available online only at OC Campus Store. If you have any questions, call 250-862-5638 or email campusstores@okanagan.bc.ca.

It takes approximately two to three business days to fill the online orders, please be sure to purchase the necessary items prior to the 1st day of class.

WelderFoundation

Admission requirements

  • B.C. secondary school graduation, or equivalent, or 19 years of age and out of secondary school for at least one year as of the first day of classes.
  • English 10 with minimum 50% or alternatives.
  • Math requirement:
    • A minimum of 50% In any of:
      • Apprenticeship Mathematics 12
      • Pre-calculus Grade 11
      • Foundations of Mathematics Grade 11
      • Apprenticeship and Workplace Mathematics Grade 11
      • Workplace Mathematics 11
      • Principles of Mathematics 11
      • Applications of Mathematics 11
      • Essentials of Mathematics 11
      • Adult Basic Educatioh MATH 011
      • Adult Basic Education MATH 084 and MATH 085
      • Adult Basic Education IALG 011
    • Or a minimum of 63% on the Trades Entrance Assessment (TEA) mathematics Test scores are only good for two (2) years.
      • Applicants who have not satisfied the Math requirement within the last seven (7) years must write the TEA Mathematics test and must receive a minimum of 63%.

Program outline

WDFD 100 - Line A Occupational Skills
WDFD 101 - Line B Cutting and Gouging Processes
WDFD 102 - Line C Fusion and Braze Welding (TB) using the Oxy-Fuel Process
WDFD 103 - Line D Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
WDFD 104 - Line E Semi-Automatic and Automatic Welding
WDFD 105 - Line F Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)
WDFD 107 - Line H Basic Metallurgy
WDFD 108 - Line I Weld Drawings, Layout and Fabrication
  • Minimum passing grade is a GGA of seventy percent (70%)
Additional information

View the official Calendar details and policies
Learn more about the department
View the Tuition and fees page

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