June 13, 2025 • 43 mins
The CWB Association had the privilege to attend the Skills Canada New Brunswick Provincial Competition in Saint John, NB. Join us as we bring you special episodes recorded in person to advocate for careers in skilled trades and technology across the country.
What happens when football dreams transform into a welding career? In this captivating conversation, Adam Stead reveals his remarkable journey from athlete to welding professional to his current role as Technical Education Specialist with the CWB Welding Foundation. The Maritime welding landscape offers more opportunities than many realize. Adam dismantles the misconception that East Coast welders must head west for work, explaining how regional industries like shipbuilding, pipe fitting, and structural steel provide solid careers.
Ready to see where your welding journey might lead? Subscribe now to hear more inspiring stories from across the industry.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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Happy welding.
Hello and welcome to anotheredition of the CWB Association
podcast.
My name is Max Chiron and I amhere in beautiful New Brunswick,
(01:08):
the city of St John, forAtlantic Skills competition.
This week there's going to be anumber of trades going on
competition mode to find outwho's the best to go to
nationals, and this is aqualifying year for Worlds for
Shanghai, china.
One of the fantastic thingsabout doing these competitions
is meeting the great people whoare here that work so hard in a
(01:28):
variety of different jobs, andone of them that we have here,
who is a part of the CWBFoundation.
Now is Adam Stead.
Adam, how are you doing?
Thanks for having me Doinggreat.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Doing great.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You tired, not yet I have a whole other day of this,
so let's start real quick withwhat your role is here at Skills
.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
So here at Skills I'm an NTC for New Brunswick, so
I've been that position since2015.
So we're on our 10th year andbasically I help get the
drawings ready, the rubricsready, get the judges lined up,
and then the day of the event, Ihelp the event run along.
So this event, we have sponsors.
So I work with Miller Welding,I work with Hobart Fillers and
(02:13):
just ensure that everything'srunning smoothly and that we're
basically mimicking what we doat Nationals.
So when you go to Nationals,you've already kind of done the
precursor.
Now you're into the to therepresent your province at the
national level.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Right, and it's over a few days here, so how did the
days break down?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
So we, we arrived yesterday, we set everything up,
make sure all the machines run,the gas is good, no, no, no
issues there.
Filler metal is ready, tungstensharpened, that sort of thing,
and then when we hit thismorning, your material is in
your booth, your machine's readyto roll, we have the drawings
ready, the rubrics are ready,the judges are showing up.
So everything is kind ofalready pre-set and, as you know
(02:54):
, the more you do this, thebetter it flows and the more
fluid it is.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Every year, it's just yeah.
And then today, I believe, waspost-secondary today's
post-secondary, so we've had 12competitors all over New
Brunswick.
I heard there was 13, butsomebody unfortunately dropped
out at the last minute.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Unfortunately, and he was.
I think he was going to be oneof the good ones too yeah, so
it's too bad.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Hopefully they're young enough they can go next
year.
Next year Exactly, and thentomorrow is going to be
interesting too, because they'llbe real nervous.
Yeah, yeah, they're verynervous.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
So we take a little bit more precaution with them.
We kind of go over the symbolsand make sure they really
understand how it's going to gotogether and kind of reassure
them that it's going to be okay,and that makes sure they know
where they're going to put theweld in the yeah we help them
just a little bit more, Allright?
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Well, let's back up now and talk about you.
You know in terms of where youcome from and your role, so are
you a local here to NewBrunswick.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
So I am.
I'm originally fromNewfoundland.
We moved here in 92.
So I've lived in New Brunswicksince 1992.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Yeah, so a young man because you're quite a bit
younger than me, I think yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Yeah, yeah, turning gray though.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
No, I'm already there , man.
I'm already gray land.
I'm Santa Claus.
Someone call me Santa.
You called me Santa today.
Jeez Guilty.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Now, how did you get into the welding field?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Because when I first met you, you know, it was a
while ago, a few years ago now.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
You know you were in a very different role than what
you are now, so walk us throughyour career.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
So I was an athlete before pursuing the football
career that everybody thinksthey're going to make.
And then then I said, hey, Igot to go back to back to New
Brunswick and take a trade.
So my father's a railroader andmy family's tradesmen, so it
kind of was like hey, there'sjobs here, I have to pursue this
.
And that was about the sametime that there's a lot of
(04:45):
welders needed at West.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
So the word was out we need welders.
So I took a one-year program,loved it From there, got a job
locally in Moncton.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Where did you take the one-year program?
Speaker 2 (04:56):
NBCC here in.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
St Andrews, New Brunswick Okay, cool.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Awesome, yep.
And from there got a job localin Moncton doing some structural
.
That worked into a machine shop, that worked into a little bit
of a nuclear shop in Fredericton, new Brunswick, and from there
moved back to Moncton, got inwith a sprinkler fitter outfit
called Troy Life and Fire Weldedpipe with those guys for about
nine years before going to thecollege to teach welding.
(05:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Now in that time, you know, like you talked about
going out West.
It's something I've talkedabout in the other podcast here.
Because there's a misconceptionI find the more I've learned
about the Maritimes, the more Icome out here to know the
Atlantic provinces.
As a Westerner myself, you knowI come from Saskatchewan.
I've done a lot of my work outWest and we never, ever had like
(05:44):
the inclination out West to goEast.
You know, and it was alwaysthis idea, that every May the
planes would show up from theEast coast and you'd have the
Newfoundlanders and NovaScotians, the New Brunswick, pei
.
They'd be coming out andthere'd be planes full of them,
of trades people for shutdownseason.
Whether you're an oil and gasout in Alberta or you're in the
(06:04):
mining industry in Saskatchewan,we'd be bringing in all the
travel cards.
Now in that, in that world, Ihad a misconception that there
wasn't work out here.
Right, and perhaps that waswrong, because the more people I
meet out here, the more peopleI know they've had wonderful
careers out here and there seemsto be lots of industry.
(06:27):
You know so from your position,you know you kind of have
tasted, you know, drank thewater in a few places.
How do you feel about theindustry here in the Atlantic
provinces?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
It's up and down.
That's where you see the wavethat would go out west and
Newfoundland even.
They would even go even moreeast.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
So yeah, it kind of.
It kind of hits and misses.
We did have a large structuralsteel community back when I
first started.
There was a lot more.
A lot of those have gone down,it's just the larger ones Just
construction stuff yeah.
So a lot of of of structuralsteel now with the ship building
, with the pipefitters, with thepipefitters, with the refinery
boilermakers.
In the refinery there's theiron workers.
So there is a lot of industrystill around and you don't hear
(07:09):
it as much.
You don't hear a lot of thegoing out west as you used to,
yeah, and basically I thinkthey're just looking for a
higher wage is kind of what itwas.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Yeah, it wasn't so much that there wasn't the work
here it was just a better pay.
Yep, it was just a better pay,which is something that still
exists.
You know, like when I travel,you know I would say it pays a
little bit better here thanperhaps places in Ontario.
But you know, when I travelthrough Ontario I can really see
a large difference in the paydiscrepancies from West to
Central and Eastern Canada.
(07:38):
I wonder why that is.
I've never really been able tofigure that out.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
To me, I think it's more of the process too.
If you're getting more, uh,manufacturing, sometimes the
manufacturing.
There's so many guys in thatworld that I think it's kind of
watered down a little, so maybethat's what it is.
There's so many people whereyou get more specialized.
Maybe you got a pipe ticket,maybe you can go to here.
Maybe you're working Somestainless or whatever there's
something a little more.
(08:04):
You're going to get a littlemore.
So I think in those centralmaybe it's a little more
manufacturing.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and your career you know, like you
said, that you came back fromyour desire to be a professional
athlete.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
What position did you play?
Offensive line, you anoffensive line.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
I was a little, a little.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yeah, you're about 100 pounds short.
So you came back, you know, andyou decided to get into the
trades and take this one yearprogram.
Was that process, you know,difficult at all?
Was it easy to get into weldingout here?
Speaker 2 (08:37):
I think since I got into the higher level of
football it kind of gave me thatdiscipline to be to be in the
booth working towards my goal,which was like a pipe ticket at
the time.
Get that diploma and then youhave to start making some money.
So at that point it's you gottaget moving and I was just
fortunate enough that I had goodconnections to get good jobs.
That kind of kind of propel mein my career.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
And then when you were working with the sprinkler
fitting company, you know you'redoing a lot of small diameter
pipe.
I assume right Like lots andlots of small diameter pipe.
What was your desire at thatpoint in your career?
You know when you were lookingforward into your future.
Did you see yourself gettinginto these type of jobs, or were
you content with welding?
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Were you content with welding?
No, I was happy with welding,like uh.
So I had met a colleague ofmine at uh the nuclear shop and
he said, hey my, my cousin hasthis pipe shop, so plus their
union job.
So I was like, so I get in withthe UA.
So I had a great pension homeevery night, we traveled, but we
worked hard, so we had theweekends off and it was just a
good career.
My boss was awesome.
(09:42):
He's here today Troy, life andFire they're big sponsors of
Skills Canada and, yeah, healways pushed me to go, go, get
that ticket and make sure youkeep your career up.
So when the opportunity came toleave him, I really didn't want
to do it and it washeartbreaking.
But he said no, you're right,you're ready to go to your next
step in your career.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah, yeah, and that was into teaching, into teaching
, yeah, yeah.
And how did that transitionhappen?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
So, if we back the truck up a little, I'm married
to a teacher and my mother's ateacher, so I kind of had that
that teacher, in me, the bloodof a teacher, yeah, and I had a
really good teacher.
He's still teaching in NBCC inMoncton so he was my mentor.
So it was kind of cool I got togo work with him Not John.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Uh, no, no, no definitely not.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
No, no.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Louis LeBlanc shout out.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Louis LeBlanc yeah, he's awesome dude and uh, so
yeah, so he was going to take meunder his wing.
Kind of, show me the ropes, getme into it.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
So, yeah, it was natural.
And did?
They come knocking?
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Well, at that time, like I said, the waves of
construction in the Maritimeswas getting slow at that time.
So, uh, um, the pipe fittingwas a little bit slow.
So I said, well, I'm going togo get a more pressure ticket
and go out West as well as myplan was.
And then through there.
Uh, when I was in practicingfor a test, louie said hey, drop
a resume off.
I think you with us, so perfect.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Yeah, good timing.
How did you feel about thattransition?
It's, it's a very differentbeast.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
There was a lot of planning, a lot of late nights
to start.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
But once you get into , you know Utah, it's just, you
can walk in without a book atthe end of it, Right?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Yeah, yeah, you miss the students?
Speaker 2 (11:17):
I do.
But my new role is awesomebecause I get to work with
students again with our camps oralso teaching high school
teachers with our educatortraining.
So I feel like I'm I'm a footback in education.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Yeah, yeah.
Now, how long were you in thecollege?
I was there for eight years.
Eight years, yep, yep, that's along time.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yeah, I taught a pre-employment program for about
five years and then Itransitioned into apprenticeship
for the last three and I justlove the apprenticeship.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yeah, yeah, I was just talking to someone about
how much they enjoy teachingapprenticeship more than the
pre-em.
I enjoyed both, but I get itCause.
I, I my favorite class to teachif I had to teach one is level
three.
Yes, Right, Like I mean I lovedgetting them ready for that for
the JP exam.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
I love that's where all the stress is.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
That's where you really hit the trenches, you
know no, and you become like ateam with your class Cause.
It's like nobody wants to seeanyone fail.
No, Everyone in that group isrooting for each other, you know
.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
And it's, it's, it's so rewarding to like even being
here today.
I see them, and they got a newhouse, they got a new truck.
Now they got a baby, so like wekind of helped them along their
career too, which is awesome.
Yeah, yeah, it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
So when?
Why leave?
You know, like I mean I I'm.
I went to CWB from college,right?
I got the call For me it was aCOVID choice, right, covid
happened and we all got senthome at the college and told to
wait.
I'm not very good at waiting,Right, I'm a very impatient man,
yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Mine's very similar, right.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
So then, basically, you know, cwb had an opportunity
and I decided to take it.
I mean, it was, to be honest, abit of a pay cut, but it was.
It was very, I guess, in linewith what I wanted to keep
progressing in terms of mycareer.
Right For yourself, what wasthe deciding factor that go from
?
From teaching, because you know, getting those long tenured
(13:08):
teaching jobs is also not easy.
No, some people wait theirwhole lives to get a teaching
job in a college and they can'tget it.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Right, right, uh, no same thing for COVID.
The numbers started to get downa little.
Uh, it wasn't as muchapprenticeship coming in and uh,
I have a great wife.
She's a high school teacher,like I mentioned.
So she kind of guided me.
She'd say, hey, you can go trysomething else, like it's okay,
it's okay to do that.
And I did it and I loved it.
I was like it.
It's just as rewarding as aswhen I was teaching.
(13:35):
So uh so yeah, I think it was agreat transition, just like I
said, a next step in your career.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Yeah, that's all.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Yeah and then so uh, uh.
I always volunteered wheneverthe CWB foundation would come
around.
Uh.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
That was going to be my next question.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Or or or give grants in the community, I would go
volunteer and try to help theseteachers get their programs
going.
So I kept connected with theCWB through, uh, through Josh at
the foundation and uh, yeah, hebrought me this wonderful
opportunity.
So, yeah, Well it's.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
It's interesting because you don't exist in the
welding sphere without knowingthe CWB.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Right.
And, and you know I was talkingto some of the UA guys this
morning and uh, in my previouslifetime as a full-time welder
out West there's almost adislike or a distaste of the CWB
.
You know, they're like theinvigilators they can, they can
ruin your career if you failsome tests on you.
Could.
You know they're the inspectorsthat have all the rules and
(14:32):
regulations, not that they don'texist for everyone else, but
you just you know it's like theman right, right.
And when I got the opportunityto work for CWB it was kind of a
double edged sword for me.
I was like, you know, do I gowork for this place?
That I kind of, you know,didn't love as a welder.
But then as a teacher, Istarted to get an appreciation
(14:54):
of the CWB because I didn't knowthat whole other side.
I didn't know about thefoundation, I didn't know.
Well, the foundation's about 12years old now, I think, around
there, and so, like I mean,these things have been created
in the last decade or so, butthe associations have been
around for over a hundred years.
My dad was a part of the CWBassociation.
Well, back then it was WIC, theWelding Institute of Canada,
(15:17):
and I've been volunteering sincethe early 2000s to try to
understand this whole other sideof the business of the CWB.
Now when I got offered a jobhere I was like can I, can I do
good, can I bring change to CWB?
Can I, can I bring my flavor ofindustry?
Because, like yourself, you're awelder first, you know, you're
(15:39):
a trades person, an educator, soyou got some beefs in your mind
that you're like.
I can hopefully fix these beefs.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Right it's true, yep.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
And like how much of that did you bring into the job
when you got that firstopportunity to come to CWB?
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Yeah, for me it was like the opportunity to kind of
keep the accreditation going andkeep the certification going.
So for these students, whenthey leave they don't just have
a diploma Now they have a ticket.
So maybe they could get a jobin a shop that they didn't know
they were going to get and kindof help push them towards maybe
getting into inspection.
(16:13):
Maybe they didn't know, they'renot really a great welder and
they're like, hey, well, maybe Icould get into the inspection.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
What's weld adjacent?
I love that term Right.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
And I have a lot of students reach out now they're
like okay, adam works with CWB,how do I get my level one?
How do I get that supervisor?
So it's nice to take the pastand kind of help it with what I
can now.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
So, yeah, I just had a mechanic come up to me today
and said is there work at CWBfor mechanics?
And I said, well, not directly,but I'm not going to say no,
because there's CSR job and youcan kind of just come in off the
street for those.
And he's like, well, how dothey pay?
And I actually didn't know.
I looked it up at 28 to $35 anhour.
(16:52):
Yeah, that's not bad.
No, no.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
It's a very busy career.
Keeps you like, if you want tobe busy.
Csrs are busy.
I know that, yeah, yeah,Everywhere they're on the ground
for us, everywhere, it sayspart-time?
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Yeah, but part-time sounds like full-time.
I think that's always leadingto full-time.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Now you came in to work with the CWB Welding
Foundation.
Yes, which is a little bitdifferent, because I know you
have volunteered with theassociation as as the foundation
being a kind of a newer entitywithin the CWB, what was your
relationship with them prior toworking?
Speaker 2 (17:30):
So prior to working with them was it was actually
originally with Andrew Bartlett.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Right when.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Andrew was on board and he was working with a
gentleman in New Brunswickcalled Brian Gray and they were
kind of trying to get weldingback in these classrooms, which
was awesome.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Where were the t-shirts from back then?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Yeah, oh yeah the old , yeah, yeah, the old symbols
with the CWA Yep.
And uh, so yeah, those two werepushing it and my boss at the
college said hey, Adam, I knowyou love volunteering at these
high schools.
Why don't you partner withthese guys?
They're going to teach highschool teachers in the summer.
That's how I kind of got in asa teacher through NBCC.
So I'd open the door to ourcampus and we'd house 30
(18:09):
teachers every summer for a weekand kind of just get into
introduction to stick,introduction to wire, and then
by the end they kind of leftwith a couple of tickets, which
was awesome.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Yeah, and they still.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
We're still connected to this day.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
It's one of the biggest requests I get in
passing is from high schoolteachers being like hey, you
guys ran that course a few yearsback.
When are you going to do itagain?
There's so much value in thatbecause you want to talk about
heroes.
Talk to a high school shopteacher Like no funding, no
money, no resources, no training, and they got to get out there
(18:45):
and do this and haveexpectations from their students
.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
That's a tough gig and they're go-getters.
They're pushing Like I know Iwas in PEI about a month ago and
looking to get their shopsaccredited.
They want to get their studentsto get a ticket.
So there's that continuation.
So through the foundation we'rebuilding some next level to
those educator training.
So if you want to get more intofabricating or into testing or
(19:10):
that sort of thing, we'reworking on a lot more of that
too.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Yeah, yeah.
Did you ever work with any ofthe camps?
Speaker 2 (19:16):
I have.
I worked with a Mind Over Metalcamp and an Arcs and Sparks
camp.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
So it's new to me, I'm just learning.
So part of my role is I kind ofget these under my wing and I'm
kind of the program coordinatorfor those.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
And then I get to go go this, go, work them Go work
them and meet these people,which is awesome.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Yeah, that's amazing.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Now there's a lot of welding colleges out here, you
know, for for the population andfor the geography size, I'm
always surprised at howwell-suited the college is.
Out here Between NSCC and NBCCthere's multiple campuses with
multiple welding labs, includingWET programs which aren't
offered in all of Canada, andyou really see a growth and
(20:01):
expansion of the colleges outhere for welding.
Why do you think that is?
Historically this isn't whenthey, you know, historically
this isn't seen as a welding hub, but it kind of is when you
come out here.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Well, there's a lot of that.
You don't have to stay hereeither, so a lot of them will
leave like you said, or ortravel or that sort of thing,
and I always like to say thatit's always a step into the
trades.
Just because you take a weldingcourse doesn't mean you're
going to become a welder, and Ialways say that to my students.
Like that gets your foot in thedoor.
Now the employer knows that youcan work with your hands, you
(20:34):
have some math skills, someblueprint skills, so I think
it's development wise.
It's a great first step intoany type of career.
If it's a automotive mechanicor or plumbing, you name it,
yeah, but for the numbers Idon't know.
There is quite a few, you'reright, yeah, yeah.
And well, well outfitted shopstoo.
That's the thing.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Like they're looking at.
You're looking at some prettygood sized shops.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
And I remember when NSCC had their grand opening of
their new shop it doesn't seemlike that long ago, it's got to
be 10 years now, though, rightand I remember coming out here
and seeing like they had a robotwelding out front and all this
stuff, and I was like, wow,what's going on out here in the
Maritimes?
Man, you think it's theindustry, because I mean, you
got Irving, you got the refineryI think the largest in Canada
(21:21):
where North America fits not andso there's a lot of full-time
maintenance work that couldhappen around here, right yeah?
Speaker 2 (21:29):
And structural shops.
Like I said, a lot of largerstructural shops and sending a
lot of product all over theworld.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
It is.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yeah, and in my year in sales I get to go out and
meet these people and see wherethese products go.
Some of the products we havebuilt in the Maritime is just
amazing.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Now let's talk about your stint in sales.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
How'd that go?
What happened it?
Speaker 2 (21:50):
went great I was.
I was hired on through througha friend of mine.
He's a manager at the SourceAtlantic.
So I became a weldingspecialist and took over
Atlantic Canada and I had 32outside sales guys.
So I kind of I wasn't directlya sales guy, but I was the
welding guy.
So I would go in and talk topeople like you and you'd say,
(22:10):
hey, okay, there's a welding guy, he can talk my language.
What does he want?
Kind of drop this down, getdown quick, this is what he
wants.
You know what I mean.
So they they really relate withsomebody that can speak our
language.
I guess.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Yeah, that, that was.
That's exactly what I washoping he'd say because, it
leads right into.
Like this weld adjacent thingthat I've been talking about
Came up in one of the podcastsalready.
I did today because you knowit's.
You can have 12 students comein and they're all welding
students.
You know three or four of themare going to be amazing welders.
That'll just run with it.
(22:42):
Three or four might get it andget all of it but just might
lack the, the hand eye skills.
But there's so many weldadjacent careers and suppliers
is one of them.
You look at the big ones like Iknow messer just took, like I
think, uh, who was it?
um, the guy from lincoln yeahlincoln michael yep, he just
(23:02):
went over to messer as theirweld specialist and you know you
got sebastian trombe forlincoln out west.
And you know you got SebastianTrombe for Lincoln out west.
And you got my friend Chase.
He went and worked forRockmount for a while and all
these welders Red Seal welders,you know that have great jobs
and great careers get pulledinto the sales side of it.
Because at the end of the day,welding shops, welding companies
(23:23):
, welders don't like buyingstuff from people that don't
understand them.
They hate it.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
They hate it.
And when they meet people likeus, they just open their wallet
because they're like here, Ineed this, this, this, while
you're there, oh.
And then they just message youwe need this this.
You might not get the sale, butat least you're getting the
pricing right Because they'relooking for it.
And then I found my love forsales too.
I really did.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Even in the foundation I keep telling our
people.
I can pitch the camp for you.
It's okay, I enjoy that part.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
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You know, I've always consideredmyself to be bad at sales.
And people are like how are youbad at sales?
(25:29):
You're such a good talker.
And I said well, it's one thingto talk and it's another thing
to sell, yeah Right, and I feellike I can talk till the cows
come home, but I don't know if Icould close the deals like that
.
You know, it's a different,it's a different.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
And that's where the partnership, I think, with the
outside sales worked well,because they were the dollar guy
, they were getting most of thecommission at the end of it.
You were just there to kind ofprovide the product.
Support, yeah, yeah, supportyeah.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Now, when you came into this new gig with the
foundation as a technicaleducation specialist, what were
some of the things about thisjob that you were most pumped
about doing?
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Definitely the educator training.
Educator training sorry.
The camps.
I've never been involved withthe camps, so that was cool.
I've always heard rumors aboutthese awesome camps that go on
in the summer camps and the factthat I get to actually run them
and work with them and workone-on-one with the kids is
awesome.
So, yeah, I think that's whatit was.
It was stepping back intoeducation is where I wanted to
(26:25):
be.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
What would be some of the things you'd like to, I
guess, create or like ventureinto with this role?
Because, you know, one of thethings I've learned with CWB is
that we're given quite a bit offreedom for introducing ideas.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Right yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
And I know the foundation's constantly evolving
yes Right is constantlyevolving yes Right, and there's
always new funding envelopes andopportunities, and not just
necessarily in your area buteven for other areas.
What are some of the ideasyou've had, kind of, you know,
percolating that you think wouldbe great?
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Innovation really in the education side.
So, like I said, in theeducator training, kind of
getting more advanced courses.
So you've already taken the one, two, three units.
Now how about four or five?
Let's get more advanced.
Another thing is innovation andwelding.
So, as you know, dobots, cobots, robots, that whole world.
We want to push that envelope.
(27:18):
So we have our capitalequipment grant.
We just split that up.
Into three sections Into threesections, one being innovation.
So, you have the classroom, youhave the course.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Now you want maybe a cutting table?
Speaker 3 (27:31):
or a cobot to kind of take it to the next.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Yeah, especially in these larger manufacturing areas
, I mean it's a must.
These people are going intothese CNC shops or these robotic
shops.
So, yeah, I think that thatnext step is there.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Well, equipment is such a hurdle and it's a it's
also such a savior.
You know like I remember when Iwas teaching at SAS Poly, we
got a grant, a big one, from theprovincial government and we
bought a $500,000 brake press.
You know, it's fully electric,like gears, no hydraulics,
(28:05):
self-leveling, self-crowning.
This thing it was the bee'sknees and I remember at the time
it was like this equipment'salmost too good, it's too good
for the school.
It should be like sitting insome shop making a million
dollars for somebody.
But as soon as that piece ofequipment came into the shop and
was set up and everyone gotlearning how to run it, it
brought in so much industry.
(28:25):
Because now there was actuallya school where the students
could learn on the newest pieceof equipment so that they can
come out of the school.
And they didn't learn on someacupress from 1932, right, that
had like one foot stomper andyou adjusted it with dials.
You know they, they would learnon proper equipment and I think
that that's something that kindof got lost.
(28:45):
Even even when I was coming upin welding there was an attitude
of like any old welding machinewill work yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Yes and no right.
Yeah, no, it definitely.
It can definitely mold andchange a program into something
much more innovative, Like, likeyou said, a brake press or a
set of rolls.
Next thing you know, we'rebuilding fire pits and we're
bringing people from uh, fromfrom industry in to actually see
these tools and use them, andand, and, like you said, then
they're hiring your studentseven more.
(29:13):
That's right, right, yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
What would be you know, in your magic hat, what
would be the some of the mostimportant pieces of equipment a
school should be looking at.
Let's break this into A highschool.
What would be an importantpiece of equipment A high school
?
You know they're learning aboutthese awesome grants that we
may have that they can apply for, there might be funding for
them, and they're like, well,what do I need?
(29:36):
What would be something youthink that every school should
have?
Speaker 2 (29:39):
I always think about myself.
If I'm doing something, youknow what I mean.
You're building.
You're like, turn around, Iwith an iron.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
So, much with an iron .
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Especially with a piranha with some special
attachments on it.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
It's got the seven things on it.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Or a bandsaw.
So I always try to tell peoplea bandsaw is great, an automated
bandsaw.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
So you don't have to start.
Then you can still go back andwork.
Yeah, you can just drop thisplate on and walk away.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Those would be two, and then probably a cutting
table.
Some type of plasma you'rebuilding logos for people.
You can build signs for peopleLike you can really innovate
your program with that.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
The pricing has changed, so much too in the last
10 years.
Like I mean, I remember we'regetting a four by four or four
by eight plasma table just likea torch mate, you know, kind of
at the bottom, and it was likealmost unrealistically expensive
for a high school and now yousee them coming down in prices.
I think there's a lot ofcompetition, right.
(30:31):
That's driven prices downbecause you can get plasma
tables from all over the placenow.
But also other technologieshave stepped up where water jets
and lasers have come down inprice too.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Yeah, and the plasma world itself has stepped up.
Like the plasma quality isgetting so much greater.
If you get a good power sourceand these tables, like you said,
there's so many privateCanadian companies building
really nice tables, yeah.
That has brought the price downa little bit, so that nice
little table with a really goodpower source I mean you're all
set.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
You can do whatever you want.
You can etch and cut andeverything, yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
I see a lot of them for the capital equipment which
is.
It's great.
So somebody is looking toadvance their, their program, so
I think that's a really goodtool to have.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Now let's talk about colleges.
You got a bank of weldingmachines.
You got a probably a plasmatable for sure.
You probably got a press.
You probably got maybe somebasic rulers.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
You got an iron worker for sure.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Most colleges are going to have an iron worker.
What's the piece of equipmentthat a post-secondary place
should be looking at in terms ofadvancing their program?
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Definitely the advanced short circuit processes
, I mean.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Like an.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
RMD or an STT RMD.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
STT.
Talk about Ferronius Likeyou're looking at very advanced.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
Yeah, I mean me and you.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
We just love them all .
So like yeah, yeah getting intothose advanced because you might
be going to a specialty shopwhere you're not just welding
old solid wire short circuit.
You might be going to that nextlevel as well.
As Cobots.
Cobots are becoming a thing.
A lot of companies I've sold toin my career but I've had other
(32:07):
leads talking to manufacturersthey're becoming a thing.
I know in Quebec it's becoming.
Every college, I think, wantsto have one just because they
want these students ready forindustry and industry has
co-bots.
So we have to.
We have to kind of adapt tothat.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
It's true, it's true, and I mean some.
You see the differences incolleges across Canada, where
some colleges are just startingto adapt into it, some are
flying, you know, like you.
Look at what Conestoga is doingwith some of their programs.
I think SAS Poly's got 18co-bots now.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Like I mean it's getting up there right, it's
almost a classroom full, yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Yeah, that was the idea.
The idea is like you want tohave everyone on one, or else
what's the point?
Right, like simulators are cool, yep, but you can only go so
far with a simulator right Right.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
And the last one I'll tell you is lasers yeah.
Lasers are going to become athing.
They are a thing.
Where are they going in ourworld in actual certification?
I'm not sure.
But for thinner material I'veseen some amazing, uh uh amazing
finish welds on products withthem and, uh, some of the major
(33:14):
manufacturers are buying themout.
So you know, if they're buyingin, it's it's, it's big yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
I, um, I I talked to the guys at Waterloo and U of A
all the time and, uh, I knowthat one of the actually I think
one of the presentations that'shappening at Weld Industry Day
in Red Deer on June 11th is a?
U of A student, eddie, and hisproject is on high-deposition
laser welding and they're doinglike half-inch,
(33:39):
three-quarter-inch open-rootfillets with like 532 laser wire
and they're sorting them outLike I mean, they're running
them root out four passes youknow these on one inch plate and
they're bending clean withalmost zero prep and like I mean
, I in the beginning it was like, oh yeah, lasers are cool If
(34:00):
you're welding tin cans, oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
That's cute, right you?
Speaker 1 (34:03):
know, but don't, that's never a thing you're
going to see in industry then.
Then I get to watch a Zingley,a half inch fillet.
It's like okay, wow.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
We're just talking productions going through the
roof.
Yeah, like, what are youtalking about?
Speaker 1 (34:14):
And like such little gas coverage is needed, right,
right, like you don't have toworry about purging or any of
this stuff.
It's, it's unreal.
This, this next level thatwe're going to be getting into,
this next level that we're goingto be getting into, yeah, and
then, like you said, once thebig manufacturers get into it,
yeah, they start dumping theirmoney into it.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
Yeah, yeah, exactly Now you know they're taking it
serious, so we need to take itserious to get to that level to
meet industry and what they'redoing in industry, right, mm-hmm
?
Speaker 1 (34:43):
Yeah, Now with skills here, you know, what have you
seen so far today?
How are the kids doing?
How are the weldments?
Speaker 2 (34:52):
It's going really well.
They fit together awesome.
So basically, like I mentionedbefore, we're mimicking National
, so it's a smaller pressurevessel.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
We don't pressurize it here, but that's what I asked
someone if you're actuallygoing to pressurize it or not,
not this one.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
It's got a viewing window on the bottom, but Not
this one.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
It's got a viewing window on the bottom.
But at nationals we do.
Yeah, Not that they all hold,but they're supposed to.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
So there's a lot of advanced skill we have every
process here so it's awesome and, yeah, just the exposure for
them, like we mentioned at lunch, just to even be involved with
this with the students, is justamazing.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
It sets them up for their career.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
It really does.
Yeah, it sets them up for theircareer.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
It really does.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, it's a really good,positive environment back there.
Everybody's having a great time.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Good, yep Good.
Anybody make any like hugemistakes.
This morning Anyone putanything on backwards.
It was okay, because it's theblueprints that kill you.
It was the blueprints.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
So I personally double checked them when I
stamped them to Do a little nod.
You can go back and fix this ifyou want, yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
Every year, it's always the blueprint.
It's never the skill, it's theblueprint that kills you yeah.
Yeah, and they get sneaky,because what is it?
Up to 30% changes are allowed.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Yep 20% the morning off.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Yeah, yep, that's just mean.
That's mean yeah, we're nice,we're.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Tomorrow's high school, so it's actually the day
one of Regina as well, so we'readvancing it.
For New Brunswick it's a firstit has three groove welds on it,
but for high school it has twoflat and horizontal, which I'm
looking forward to seeing.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
Yeah, it's a great project, Horizontal, stick or
horizontal.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
It's a F3F4.
Or I should not say they mightbe listening.
Yeah, it's an F3F4.
It's okay, just me and you andthe vending machines.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
And for the post-secondarythere's open route.
I believe there's one acrossthe top right.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
A flat open route.
Yeah, there's a TIG, there's awire, there's a stick.
So yeah, basically everyprocess will be.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
Are they going to be doing aluminum?
Speaker 2 (36:43):
No, we don't, we don.
Unfortunately, I know someprovinces like to do even a
complimentary fillet of astainless and an aluminum we
don't.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
So basically, if you win, uh, we got to get training
pretty fast, then it's go time,cause it's only a couple months
away now.
Yeah, we're not even End of May.
So yeah, about a month, about amonth.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Month away.
Oh, that's sweat time Yep, yep.
And it's a full, full out yearfor whoever that winner is.
Yeah, exactly, you know whatit's like coaching and
everything.
Yeah, it's non-stop.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Well I mean once.
Once you go to worlds, yourealize the investment that's
required to play on the bigstage right, right, it's not a.
You're doing this after work.
It's not like you're doing this.
You know, on weekends, rightit's.
You're quitting your after work.
It's not like you're doing this.
You know, on weekends, rightit's.
You're quitting your job, yep,and you are devoting eight hours
a day to practicing literallythese 15 weld types Right For
(37:39):
the next year, which can begrueling.
Yeah, I remember watching Adamjust hate his life after you
know the 900th open route in arow and we're like nope do it
again?
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Nope, do it again, and it looks like perfect.
Yeah, and they're all betterthan anything I can do.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
They're all perfect.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
But nope, do it again , it's got to.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
yeah, oh, you had one piece of spatter on there.
You better watch that angleyeah.
And you know that?
Always say that to everybody.
It's just like athletics.
This is basically.
They're competing like we wouldif we were in a sport.
Yeah, Same thing, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:14):
I always say welders are like the NHL team of the
trades.
Yeah Right, we all.
We're all missing a teeth, wegot ugly tattoos, but we wear
suits, yeah, so yeah, we cleanup, it's true.
Now, what's on tap for the restof the year?
You know, outside of skills,what's going on with the
foundation?
What do you guys gotprogramming out?
(38:34):
Uh, we're on a brand new fiscalright now, so lots of stuff
planned out for the rest of theyear.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
A lot of secrets still, because, people have
applied, so we're we're justgoing through the process.
I believe it's 30 camps thissummer wow, uh, we're doing the
capital.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
I think there was like 50 some applications, yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
Yeah, yeah.
We'd love to fund them all ifwe could.
But.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
Well, big company, hey, big, big welding.
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Yeah, yeah.
You know we'll get that fundingin, right, yeah, yeah, I've got
to put my salesman hat on forthat.
So, yeah, the camps are huge,the events, basically most of
the skills across Canada, andthen national, same as yourself,
and then the capital equipmentwill be, will be going through.
There's the weld safe programgoing through, that's right.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
the weld safe program .
Speaker 2 (39:18):
And then there's the specialty, so there's the welder
plus program.
A lot of things I don't touch,but I know that we do a lot of
it, yeah, and there's some oneoffs that come up too right,
Like we're working with thePallet Upskills program right
now, which is a big one acrossCanada.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
That's a federal program that the CWB Association
and Foundation are supporting.
Right, we have the Filling theGap program with the
Boilermakers and the.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
UTIP program, the UTIP yep.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
I mean really, it's not very many parts of this
industry.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
We're not trying to touch.
No, it's true, it's great.
It's awesome to see the uh, theuh support across Canada.
It's awesome.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Yeah, yep.
Now what do you uh?
What do you got planned for thefor yourself, like what?
What do you see in your future?
Speaker 2 (40:01):
Ooh, I don't know.
I have a great boss.
Josh is awesome.
So, as long as he didn't wantthat job.
There's Danielle, we got a coolteam we do, we do.
We got some awesome people thatwork together and we get to
work remote first, which is cool, so you're home with your
family a lot.
We do travel a lot, we have alot of flight time, a lot of
(40:22):
we're almost always home for theweekend.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
Yeah, it's true, Like I mean most of our travel is
reasonable, Right.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
It's what we signed up for.
Right, it is, we knew it is.
Yeah, yeah, it's a give andtake and they're really, they're
very nice to us and yeah, no,it's great.
Speaker 1 (40:39):
So how do people get a hold of the foundation, the
CWB foundation, how do peopleget the information to this?
And they say, hey, I have aschool with a small welding
program or I want to start awelding program or whatever it
is.
How do they look into this?
Speaker 2 (40:54):
So it's a large website but it's called
cwbweldingfoundationorg and onthere we have a info at you
email us and it comes directlyto us.
We will call you within acouple of days from questions on
curriculum support.
We work with teachers acrossCanada on that To hey, I'm
looking at running a camp.
When are they open to beapplied for that sort of thing?
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Yeah, so cwbweldingfoundationorg.
Yeah, all right, you heard ithere.
First, folks, this is where youget them, and then how do
people get a hold of you if theyneed to get a hold of you out
here in the Maritimes?
Speaker 2 (41:26):
or in the Maritimes.
In the Maritimes, like my emailaddress.
Yeah however, yeah, sure, it'sjust adamstead at
cwbweldingfoundationorg and yeah, reach out.
We have lots of awesome eventsand camps and things coming up.
They have me in the East now,so we're trying to expand a lot
through the Maritimes, that'sgood.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
It's been needed.
We've been needing that supportand when I heard that you're,
when I saw your name come up onone of the documents, I was like
oh, I'm connected in themaritime, so it helps, it does,
and you need that right.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
You do, you do, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
So awesome Thanks so much for being on the show and
being with questions aboutrunning a camp or being involved
with the Wilding Foundation atall.
You know, reach out at any timeand also the association is
there to support you and yourstudents and you for your whole
careers.
So you can always sign up foryour free membership at
cwbassociationorg.
(42:19):
Keep downloading and sharingthe podcast.
We love you.
We still got lots more comingout from New Brunswick here in
Atlantic Canada and I'm excitedto do them all.
So check them all out and I'llcheck in the next one.
We hope you enjoy the show.
Speaker 3 (42:45):
Do you own a company in the welding industry or want
to share a targeted message withour listeners?
Then this 45-second audio adspace could be yours.
We have the coolest listenersfrom all over the world, with
over 60,000 downloads, and 88%are from North America.
This podcast serves to educateand connect the welding
community together and isavailable on all major platforms
(43:07):
, including the CWB GroupNetwork.
If you are interested, reachout to info at cwbassociationorg
.
Look at that.
I just gave you all of thatinformation in only 45 seconds.
You've been listening to theCWB Association Welding Podcast
and if you enjoyed what youheard today or want to send us
(43:28):
some questions to answer, youcan text the show using the link
in the episode descriptionbelow.
We can't wait to hear from you.
Please subscribe or visit us atcwbassociationorg to learn more
.
All right, I can check.
Check, I'm good.
So I'm Max Duran.
Max Duran, cwb AssociationWelding Podcast.
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Happy welding.
Hello and welcome to anotheredition of the CWB Association
podcast.
My name is Max Chiron and I amhere in beautiful New Brunswick,
(01:08):
the city of St John, forAtlantic Skills competition.
This week there's going to be anumber of trades going on
competition mode to find outwho's the best to go to
nationals, and this is aqualifying year for Worlds for
Shanghai, china.
One of the fantastic thingsabout doing these competitions
is meeting the great people whoare here that work so hard in a
(01:28):
variety of different jobs, andone of them that we have here,
who is a part of the CWBFoundation.
Now is Adam Stead.
Adam, how are you doing?
Thanks for having me Doinggreat.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Doing great.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You tired, not yet I have a whole other day of this,
so let's start real quick withwhat your role is here at Skills
.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
So here at Skills I'm an NTC for New Brunswick, so
I've been that position since2015.
So we're on our 10th year andbasically I help get the
drawings ready, the rubricsready, get the judges lined up,
and then the day of the event, Ihelp the event run along.
So this event, we have sponsors.
So I work with Miller Welding,I work with Hobart Fillers and
(02:13):
just ensure that everything'srunning smoothly and that we're
basically mimicking what we doat Nationals.
So when you go to Nationals,you've already kind of done the
precursor.
Now you're into the to therepresent your province at the
national level.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Right, and it's over a few days here, so how did the
days break down?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
So we, we arrived yesterday, we set everything up,
make sure all the machines run,the gas is good, no, no, no
issues there.
Filler metal is ready, tungstensharpened, that sort of thing,
and then when we hit thismorning, your material is in
your booth, your machine's readyto roll, we have the drawings
ready, the rubrics are ready,the judges are showing up.
So everything is kind ofalready pre-set and, as you know
(02:54):
, the more you do this, thebetter it flows and the more
fluid it is.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Every year, it's just yeah.
And then today, I believe, waspost-secondary today's
post-secondary, so we've had 12competitors all over New
Brunswick.
I heard there was 13, butsomebody unfortunately dropped
out at the last minute.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Unfortunately, and he was.
I think he was going to be oneof the good ones too yeah, so
it's too bad.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Hopefully they're young enough they can go next
year.
Next year Exactly, and thentomorrow is going to be
interesting too, because they'llbe real nervous.
Yeah, yeah, they're verynervous.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
So we take a little bit more precaution with them.
We kind of go over the symbolsand make sure they really
understand how it's going to gotogether and kind of reassure
them that it's going to be okay,and that makes sure they know
where they're going to put theweld in the yeah we help them
just a little bit more, Allright?
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Well, let's back up now and talk about you.
You know in terms of where youcome from and your role, so are
you a local here to NewBrunswick.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
So I am.
I'm originally fromNewfoundland.
We moved here in 92.
So I've lived in New Brunswicksince 1992.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Yeah, so a young man because you're quite a bit
younger than me, I think yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Yeah, yeah, turning gray though.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
No, I'm already there , man.
I'm already gray land.
I'm Santa Claus.
Someone call me Santa.
You called me Santa today.
Jeez Guilty.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Now, how did you get into the welding field?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Because when I first met you, you know, it was a
while ago, a few years ago now.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
You know you were in a very different role than what
you are now, so walk us throughyour career.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
So I was an athlete before pursuing the football
career that everybody thinksthey're going to make.
And then then I said, hey, Igot to go back to back to New
Brunswick and take a trade.
So my father's a railroader andmy family's tradesmen, so it
kind of was like hey, there'sjobs here, I have to pursue this
.
And that was about the sametime that there's a lot of
(04:45):
welders needed at West.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
So the word was out we need welders.
So I took a one-year program,loved it From there, got a job
locally in Moncton.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Where did you take the one-year program?
Speaker 2 (04:56):
NBCC here in.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
St Andrews, New Brunswick Okay, cool.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Awesome, yep.
And from there got a job localin Moncton doing some structural
.
That worked into a machine shop, that worked into a little bit
of a nuclear shop in Fredericton, new Brunswick, and from there
moved back to Moncton, got inwith a sprinkler fitter outfit
called Troy Life and Fire Weldedpipe with those guys for about
nine years before going to thecollege to teach welding.
(05:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Now in that time, you know, like you talked about
going out West.
It's something I've talkedabout in the other podcast here.
Because there's a misconceptionI find the more I've learned
about the Maritimes, the more Icome out here to know the
Atlantic provinces.
As a Westerner myself, you knowI come from Saskatchewan.
I've done a lot of my work outWest and we never, ever had like
(05:44):
the inclination out West to goEast.
You know, and it was alwaysthis idea, that every May the
planes would show up from theEast coast and you'd have the
Newfoundlanders and NovaScotians, the New Brunswick, pei
.
They'd be coming out andthere'd be planes full of them,
of trades people for shutdownseason.
Whether you're an oil and gasout in Alberta or you're in the
(06:04):
mining industry in Saskatchewan,we'd be bringing in all the
travel cards.
Now in that, in that world, Ihad a misconception that there
wasn't work out here.
Right, and perhaps that waswrong, because the more people I
meet out here, the more peopleI know they've had wonderful
careers out here and there seemsto be lots of industry.
(06:27):
You know so from your position,you know you kind of have
tasted, you know, drank thewater in a few places.
How do you feel about theindustry here in the Atlantic
provinces?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
It's up and down.
That's where you see the wavethat would go out west and
Newfoundland even.
They would even go even moreeast.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
So yeah, it kind of.
It kind of hits and misses.
We did have a large structuralsteel community back when I
first started.
There was a lot more.
A lot of those have gone down,it's just the larger ones Just
construction stuff yeah.
So a lot of of of structuralsteel now with the ship building
, with the pipefitters, with thepipefitters, with the refinery
boilermakers.
In the refinery there's theiron workers.
So there is a lot of industrystill around and you don't hear
(07:09):
it as much.
You don't hear a lot of thegoing out west as you used to,
yeah, and basically I thinkthey're just looking for a
higher wage is kind of what itwas.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Yeah, it wasn't so much that there wasn't the work
here it was just a better pay.
Yep, it was just a better pay,which is something that still
exists.
You know, like when I travel,you know I would say it pays a
little bit better here thanperhaps places in Ontario.
But you know, when I travelthrough Ontario I can really see
a large difference in the paydiscrepancies from West to
Central and Eastern Canada.
(07:38):
I wonder why that is.
I've never really been able tofigure that out.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
To me, I think it's more of the process too.
If you're getting more, uh,manufacturing, sometimes the
manufacturing.
There's so many guys in thatworld that I think it's kind of
watered down a little, so maybethat's what it is.
There's so many people whereyou get more specialized.
Maybe you got a pipe ticket,maybe you can go to here.
Maybe you're working Somestainless or whatever there's
something a little more.
(08:04):
You're going to get a littlemore.
So I think in those centralmaybe it's a little more
manufacturing.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and your career you know, like you
said, that you came back fromyour desire to be a professional
athlete.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
What position did you play?
Offensive line, you anoffensive line.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
I was a little, a little.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yeah, you're about 100 pounds short.
So you came back, you know, andyou decided to get into the
trades and take this one yearprogram.
Was that process, you know,difficult at all?
Was it easy to get into weldingout here?
Speaker 2 (08:37):
I think since I got into the higher level of
football it kind of gave me thatdiscipline to be to be in the
booth working towards my goal,which was like a pipe ticket at
the time.
Get that diploma and then youhave to start making some money.
So at that point it's you gottaget moving and I was just
fortunate enough that I had goodconnections to get good jobs.
That kind of kind of propel mein my career.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
And then when you were working with the sprinkler
fitting company, you know you'redoing a lot of small diameter
pipe.
I assume right Like lots andlots of small diameter pipe.
What was your desire at thatpoint in your career?
You know when you were lookingforward into your future.
Did you see yourself gettinginto these type of jobs, or were
you content with welding?
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Were you content with welding?
No, I was happy with welding,like uh.
So I had met a colleague ofmine at uh the nuclear shop and
he said, hey my, my cousin hasthis pipe shop, so plus their
union job.
So I was like, so I get in withthe UA.
So I had a great pension homeevery night, we traveled, but we
worked hard, so we had theweekends off and it was just a
good career.
My boss was awesome.
(09:42):
He's here today Troy, life andFire they're big sponsors of
Skills Canada and, yeah, healways pushed me to go, go, get
that ticket and make sure youkeep your career up.
So when the opportunity came toleave him, I really didn't want
to do it and it washeartbreaking.
But he said no, you're right,you're ready to go to your next
step in your career.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Yeah, yeah, and that was into teaching, into teaching
, yeah, yeah.
And how did that transitionhappen?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
So, if we back the truck up a little, I'm married
to a teacher and my mother's ateacher, so I kind of had that
that teacher, in me, the bloodof a teacher, yeah, and I had a
really good teacher.
He's still teaching in NBCC inMoncton so he was my mentor.
So it was kind of cool I got togo work with him Not John.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Uh, no, no, no definitely not.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
No, no.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Louis LeBlanc shout out.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Louis LeBlanc yeah, he's awesome dude and uh, so
yeah, so he was going to take meunder his wing.
Kind of, show me the ropes, getme into it.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
So, yeah, it was natural.
And did?
They come knocking?
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Well, at that time, like I said, the waves of
construction in the Maritimeswas getting slow at that time.
So, uh, um, the pipe fittingwas a little bit slow.
So I said, well, I'm going togo get a more pressure ticket
and go out West as well as myplan was.
And then through there.
Uh, when I was in practicingfor a test, louie said hey, drop
a resume off.
I think you with us, so perfect.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Yeah, good timing.
How did you feel about thattransition?
It's, it's a very differentbeast.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
There was a lot of planning, a lot of late nights
to start.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
But once you get into , you know Utah, it's just, you
can walk in without a book atthe end of it, Right?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Yeah, yeah, you miss the students?
Speaker 2 (11:17):
I do.
But my new role is awesomebecause I get to work with
students again with our camps oralso teaching high school
teachers with our educatortraining.
So I feel like I'm I'm a footback in education.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Yeah, yeah.
Now, how long were you in thecollege?
I was there for eight years.
Eight years, yep, yep, that's along time.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yeah, I taught a pre-employment program for about
five years and then Itransitioned into apprenticeship
for the last three and I justlove the apprenticeship.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Yeah, yeah, I was just talking to someone about
how much they enjoy teachingapprenticeship more than the
pre-em.
I enjoyed both, but I get itCause.
I, I my favorite class to teachif I had to teach one is level
three.
Yes, Right, Like I mean I lovedgetting them ready for that for
the JP exam.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
I love that's where all the stress is.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
That's where you really hit the trenches, you
know no, and you become like ateam with your class Cause.
It's like nobody wants to seeanyone fail.
No, Everyone in that group isrooting for each other, you know
.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
And it's, it's, it's so rewarding to like even being
here today.
I see them, and they got a newhouse, they got a new truck.
Now they got a baby, so like wekind of helped them along their
career too, which is awesome.
Yeah, yeah, it's awesome.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
So when?
Why leave?
You know, like I mean I I'm.
I went to CWB from college,right?
I got the call For me it was aCOVID choice, right, covid
happened and we all got senthome at the college and told to
wait.
I'm not very good at waiting,Right, I'm a very impatient man,
yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Mine's very similar, right.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
So then, basically, you know, cwb had an opportunity
and I decided to take it.
I mean, it was, to be honest, abit of a pay cut, but it was.
It was very, I guess, in linewith what I wanted to keep
progressing in terms of mycareer.
Right For yourself, what wasthe deciding factor that go from
?
From teaching, because you know, getting those long tenured
(13:08):
teaching jobs is also not easy.
No, some people wait theirwhole lives to get a teaching
job in a college and they can'tget it.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Right, right, uh, no same thing for COVID.
The numbers started to get downa little.
Uh, it wasn't as muchapprenticeship coming in and uh,
I have a great wife.
She's a high school teacher,like I mentioned.
So she kind of guided me.
She'd say, hey, you can go trysomething else, like it's okay,
it's okay to do that.
And I did it and I loved it.
I was like it.
It's just as rewarding as aswhen I was teaching.
(13:35):
So uh so yeah, I think it was agreat transition, just like I
said, a next step in your career.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Yeah, that's all.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Yeah and then so uh, uh.
I always volunteered wheneverthe CWB foundation would come
around.
Uh.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
That was going to be my next question.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Or or or give grants in the community, I would go
volunteer and try to help theseteachers get their programs
going.
So I kept connected with theCWB through, uh, through Josh at
the foundation and uh, yeah, hebrought me this wonderful
opportunity.
So, yeah, Well it's.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
It's interesting because you don't exist in the
welding sphere without knowingthe CWB.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Right.
And, and you know I was talkingto some of the UA guys this
morning and uh, in my previouslifetime as a full-time welder
out West there's almost adislike or a distaste of the CWB
.
You know, they're like theinvigilators they can, they can
ruin your career if you failsome tests on you.
Could.
You know they're the inspectorsthat have all the rules and
(14:32):
regulations, not that they don'texist for everyone else, but
you just you know it's like theman right, right.
And when I got the opportunityto work for CWB it was kind of a
double edged sword for me.
I was like, you know, do I gowork for this place?
That I kind of, you know,didn't love as a welder.
But then as a teacher, Istarted to get an appreciation
(14:54):
of the CWB because I didn't knowthat whole other side.
I didn't know about thefoundation, I didn't know.
Well, the foundation's about 12years old now, I think, around
there, and so, like I mean,these things have been created
in the last decade or so, butthe associations have been
around for over a hundred years.
My dad was a part of the CWBassociation.
Well, back then it was WIC, theWelding Institute of Canada,
(15:17):
and I've been volunteering sincethe early 2000s to try to
understand this whole other sideof the business of the CWB.
Now when I got offered a jobhere I was like can I, can I do
good, can I bring change to CWB?
Can I, can I bring my flavor ofindustry?
Because, like yourself, you're awelder first, you know, you're
(15:39):
a trades person, an educator, soyou got some beefs in your mind
that you're like.
I can hopefully fix these beefs.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
Right it's true, yep.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
And like how much of that did you bring into the job
when you got that firstopportunity to come to CWB?
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Yeah, for me it was like the opportunity to kind of
keep the accreditation going andkeep the certification going.
So for these students, whenthey leave they don't just have
a diploma Now they have a ticket.
So maybe they could get a jobin a shop that they didn't know
they were going to get and kindof help push them towards maybe
getting into inspection.
(16:13):
Maybe they didn't know, they'renot really a great welder and
they're like, hey, well, maybe Icould get into the inspection.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
What's weld adjacent?
I love that term Right.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
And I have a lot of students reach out now they're
like okay, adam works with CWB,how do I get my level one?
How do I get that supervisor?
So it's nice to take the pastand kind of help it with what I
can now.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
So, yeah, I just had a mechanic come up to me today
and said is there work at CWBfor mechanics?
And I said, well, not directly,but I'm not going to say no,
because there's CSR job and youcan kind of just come in off the
street for those.
And he's like, well, how dothey pay?
And I actually didn't know.
I looked it up at 28 to $35 anhour.
(16:52):
Yeah, that's not bad.
No, no.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
It's a very busy career.
Keeps you like, if you want tobe busy.
Csrs are busy.
I know that, yeah, yeah,Everywhere they're on the ground
for us, everywhere, it sayspart-time?
Speaker 1 (17:05):
Yeah, but part-time sounds like full-time.
I think that's always leadingto full-time.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Now you came in to work with the CWB Welding
Foundation.
Yes, which is a little bitdifferent, because I know you
have volunteered with theassociation as as the foundation
being a kind of a newer entitywithin the CWB, what was your
relationship with them prior toworking?
Speaker 2 (17:30):
So prior to working with them was it was actually
originally with Andrew Bartlett.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Right when.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Andrew was on board and he was working with a
gentleman in New Brunswickcalled Brian Gray and they were
kind of trying to get weldingback in these classrooms, which
was awesome.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
Where were the t-shirts from back then?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Yeah, oh yeah the old , yeah, yeah, the old symbols
with the CWA Yep.
And uh, so yeah, those two werepushing it and my boss at the
college said hey, Adam, I knowyou love volunteering at these
high schools.
Why don't you partner withthese guys?
They're going to teach highschool teachers in the summer.
That's how I kind of got in asa teacher through NBCC.
So I'd open the door to ourcampus and we'd house 30
(18:09):
teachers every summer for a weekand kind of just get into
introduction to stick,introduction to wire, and then
by the end they kind of leftwith a couple of tickets, which
was awesome.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
Yeah, and they still.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
We're still connected to this day.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
It's one of the biggest requests I get in
passing is from high schoolteachers being like hey, you
guys ran that course a few yearsback.
When are you going to do itagain?
There's so much value in thatbecause you want to talk about
heroes.
Talk to a high school shopteacher Like no funding, no
money, no resources, no training, and they got to get out there
(18:45):
and do this and haveexpectations from their students
.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
That's a tough gig and they're go-getters.
They're pushing Like I know Iwas in PEI about a month ago and
looking to get their shopsaccredited.
They want to get their studentsto get a ticket.
So there's that continuation.
So through the foundation we'rebuilding some next level to
those educator training.
So if you want to get more intofabricating or into testing or
(19:10):
that sort of thing, we'reworking on a lot more of that
too.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Yeah, yeah.
Did you ever work with any ofthe camps?
Speaker 2 (19:16):
I have.
I worked with a Mind Over Metalcamp and an Arcs and Sparks
camp.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
So it's new to me, I'm just learning.
So part of my role is I kind ofget these under my wing and I'm
kind of the program coordinatorfor those.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
And then I get to go go this, go, work them Go work
them and meet these people,which is awesome.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Yeah, that's amazing.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Now there's a lot of welding colleges out here, you
know, for for the population andfor the geography size, I'm
always surprised at howwell-suited the college is.
Out here Between NSCC and NBCCthere's multiple campuses with
multiple welding labs, includingWET programs which aren't
offered in all of Canada, andyou really see a growth and
(20:01):
expansion of the colleges outhere for welding.
Why do you think that is?
Historically this isn't whenthey, you know, historically
this isn't seen as a welding hub, but it kind of is when you
come out here.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Well, there's a lot of that.
You don't have to stay hereeither, so a lot of them will
leave like you said, or ortravel or that sort of thing,
and I always like to say thatit's always a step into the
trades.
Just because you take a weldingcourse doesn't mean you're
going to become a welder, and Ialways say that to my students.
Like that gets your foot in thedoor.
Now the employer knows that youcan work with your hands, you
(20:34):
have some math skills, someblueprint skills, so I think
it's development wise.
It's a great first step intoany type of career.
If it's a automotive mechanicor or plumbing, you name it,
yeah, but for the numbers Idon't know.
There is quite a few, you'reright, yeah, yeah.
And well, well outfitted shopstoo.
That's the thing.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Like they're looking at.
You're looking at some prettygood sized shops.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
And I remember when NSCC had their grand opening of
their new shop it doesn't seemlike that long ago, it's got to
be 10 years now, though, rightand I remember coming out here
and seeing like they had a robotwelding out front and all this
stuff, and I was like, wow,what's going on out here in the
Maritimes?
Man, you think it's theindustry, because I mean, you
got Irving, you got the refineryI think the largest in Canada
(21:21):
where North America fits not andso there's a lot of full-time
maintenance work that couldhappen around here, right yeah?
Speaker 2 (21:29):
And structural shops.
Like I said, a lot of largerstructural shops and sending a
lot of product all over theworld.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
It is.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yeah, and in my year in sales I get to go out and
meet these people and see wherethese products go.
Some of the products we havebuilt in the Maritime is just
amazing.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
Now let's talk about your stint in sales.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
How'd that go?
What happened it?
Speaker 2 (21:50):
went great I was.
I was hired on through througha friend of mine.
He's a manager at the SourceAtlantic.
So I became a weldingspecialist and took over
Atlantic Canada and I had 32outside sales guys.
So I kind of I wasn't directlya sales guy, but I was the
welding guy.
So I would go in and talk topeople like you and you'd say,
(22:10):
hey, okay, there's a welding guy, he can talk my language.
What does he want?
Kind of drop this down, getdown quick, this is what he
wants.
You know what I mean.
So they they really relate withsomebody that can speak our
language.
I guess.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Yeah, that, that was.
That's exactly what I washoping he'd say because, it
leads right into.
Like this weld adjacent thingthat I've been talking about
Came up in one of the podcastsalready.
I did today because you knowit's.
You can have 12 students comein and they're all welding
students.
You know three or four of themare going to be amazing welders.
That'll just run with it.
(22:42):
Three or four might get it andget all of it but just might
lack the, the hand eye skills.
But there's so many weldadjacent careers and suppliers
is one of them.
You look at the big ones like Iknow messer just took, like I
think, uh, who was it?
um, the guy from lincoln yeahlincoln michael yep, he just
(23:02):
went over to messer as theirweld specialist and you know you
got sebastian trombe forlincoln out west.
And you know you got SebastianTrombe for Lincoln out west.
And you got my friend Chase.
He went and worked forRockmount for a while and all
these welders Red Seal welders,you know that have great jobs
and great careers get pulledinto the sales side of it.
Because at the end of the day,welding shops, welding companies
(23:23):
, welders don't like buyingstuff from people that don't
understand them.
They hate it.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
They hate it.
And when they meet people likeus, they just open their wallet
because they're like here, Ineed this, this, this, while
you're there, oh.
And then they just message youwe need this this.
You might not get the sale, butat least you're getting the
pricing right Because they'relooking for it.
And then I found my love forsales too.
I really did.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Even in the foundation I keep telling our
people.
I can pitch the camp for you.
It's okay, I enjoy that part.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
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You know, I've always consideredmyself to be bad at sales.
And people are like how are youbad at sales?
(25:29):
You're such a good talker.
And I said well, it's one thingto talk and it's another thing
to sell, yeah Right, and I feellike I can talk till the cows
come home, but I don't know if Icould close the deals like that
.
You know, it's a different,it's a different.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
And that's where the partnership, I think, with the
outside sales worked well,because they were the dollar guy
, they were getting most of thecommission at the end of it.
You were just there to kind ofprovide the product.
Support, yeah, yeah, supportyeah.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Now, when you came into this new gig with the
foundation as a technicaleducation specialist, what were
some of the things about thisjob that you were most pumped
about doing?
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Definitely the educator training.
Educator training sorry.
The camps.
I've never been involved withthe camps, so that was cool.
I've always heard rumors aboutthese awesome camps that go on
in the summer camps and the factthat I get to actually run them
and work with them and workone-on-one with the kids is
awesome.
So, yeah, I think that's whatit was.
It was stepping back intoeducation is where I wanted to
(26:25):
be.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
What would be some of the things you'd like to, I
guess, create or like ventureinto with this role?
Because, you know, one of thethings I've learned with CWB is
that we're given quite a bit offreedom for introducing ideas.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Right yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
And I know the foundation's constantly evolving
yes Right is constantlyevolving yes Right, and there's
always new funding envelopes andopportunities, and not just
necessarily in your area buteven for other areas.
What are some of the ideasyou've had, kind of, you know,
percolating that you think wouldbe great?
Speaker 2 (26:57):
Innovation really in the education side.
So, like I said, in theeducator training, kind of
getting more advanced courses.
So you've already taken the one, two, three units.
Now how about four or five?
Let's get more advanced.
Another thing is innovation andwelding.
So, as you know, dobots, cobots, robots, that whole world.
We want to push that envelope.
(27:18):
So we have our capitalequipment grant.
We just split that up.
Into three sections Into threesections, one being innovation.
So, you have the classroom, youhave the course.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Now you want maybe a cutting table?
Speaker 3 (27:31):
or a cobot to kind of take it to the next.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Yeah, especially in these larger manufacturing areas
, I mean it's a must.
These people are going intothese CNC shops or these robotic
shops.
So, yeah, I think that thatnext step is there.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Well, equipment is such a hurdle and it's a it's
also such a savior.
You know like I remember when Iwas teaching at SAS Poly, we
got a grant, a big one, from theprovincial government and we
bought a $500,000 brake press.
You know, it's fully electric,like gears, no hydraulics,
(28:05):
self-leveling, self-crowning.
This thing it was the bee'sknees and I remember at the time
it was like this equipment'salmost too good, it's too good
for the school.
It should be like sitting insome shop making a million
dollars for somebody.
But as soon as that piece ofequipment came into the shop and
was set up and everyone gotlearning how to run it, it
brought in so much industry.
(28:25):
Because now there was actuallya school where the students
could learn on the newest pieceof equipment so that they can
come out of the school.
And they didn't learn on someacupress from 1932, right, that
had like one foot stomper andyou adjusted it with dials.
You know they, they would learnon proper equipment and I think
that that's something that kindof got lost.
(28:45):
Even even when I was coming upin welding there was an attitude
of like any old welding machinewill work yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Yes and no right.
Yeah, no, it definitely.
It can definitely mold andchange a program into something
much more innovative, Like, likeyou said, a brake press or a
set of rolls.
Next thing you know, we'rebuilding fire pits and we're
bringing people from uh, fromfrom industry in to actually see
these tools and use them, andand, and, like you said, then
they're hiring your studentseven more.
(29:13):
That's right, right, yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
What would be you know, in your magic hat, what
would be the some of the mostimportant pieces of equipment a
school should be looking at.
Let's break this into A highschool.
What would be an importantpiece of equipment A high school
?
You know they're learning aboutthese awesome grants that we
may have that they can apply for, there might be funding for
them, and they're like, well,what do I need?
(29:36):
What would be something youthink that every school should
have?
Speaker 2 (29:39):
I always think about myself.
If I'm doing something, youknow what I mean.
You're building.
You're like, turn around, Iwith an iron.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
So, much with an iron .
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Especially with a piranha with some special
attachments on it.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
It's got the seven things on it.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Or a bandsaw.
So I always try to tell peoplea bandsaw is great, an automated
bandsaw.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
So you don't have to start.
Then you can still go back andwork.
Yeah, you can just drop thisplate on and walk away.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
Those would be two, and then probably a cutting
table.
Some type of plasma you'rebuilding logos for people.
You can build signs for peopleLike you can really innovate
your program with that.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
The pricing has changed, so much too in the last
10 years.
Like I mean, I remember we'regetting a four by four or four
by eight plasma table just likea torch mate, you know, kind of
at the bottom, and it was likealmost unrealistically expensive
for a high school and now yousee them coming down in prices.
I think there's a lot ofcompetition, right.
(30:31):
That's driven prices downbecause you can get plasma
tables from all over the placenow.
But also other technologieshave stepped up where water jets
and lasers have come down inprice too.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Yeah, and the plasma world itself has stepped up.
Like the plasma quality isgetting so much greater.
If you get a good power sourceand these tables, like you said,
there's so many privateCanadian companies building
really nice tables, yeah.
That has brought the price downa little bit, so that nice
little table with a really goodpower source I mean you're all
set.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
You can do whatever you want.
You can etch and cut andeverything, yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
I see a lot of them for the capital equipment which
is.
It's great.
So somebody is looking toadvance their, their program, so
I think that's a really goodtool to have.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Now let's talk about colleges.
You got a bank of weldingmachines.
You got a probably a plasmatable for sure.
You probably got a press.
You probably got maybe somebasic rulers.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
You got an iron worker for sure.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Most colleges are going to have an iron worker.
What's the piece of equipmentthat a post-secondary place
should be looking at in terms ofadvancing their program?
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Definitely the advanced short circuit processes
, I mean.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
Like an.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
RMD or an STT RMD.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
STT.
Talk about Ferronius Likeyou're looking at very advanced.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
Yeah, I mean me and you.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
We just love them all .
So like yeah, yeah getting intothose advanced because you might
be going to a specialty shopwhere you're not just welding
old solid wire short circuit.
You might be going to that nextlevel as well.
As Cobots.
Cobots are becoming a thing.
A lot of companies I've sold toin my career but I've had other
(32:07):
leads talking to manufacturersthey're becoming a thing.
I know in Quebec it's becoming.
Every college, I think, wantsto have one just because they
want these students ready forindustry and industry has
co-bots.
So we have to.
We have to kind of adapt tothat.
Speaker 1 (32:22):
It's true, it's true, and I mean some.
You see the differences incolleges across Canada, where
some colleges are just startingto adapt into it, some are
flying, you know, like you.
Look at what Conestoga is doingwith some of their programs.
I think SAS Poly's got 18co-bots now.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Like I mean it's getting up there right, it's
almost a classroom full, yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
Yeah, that was the idea.
The idea is like you want tohave everyone on one, or else
what's the point?
Right, like simulators are cool, yep, but you can only go so
far with a simulator right Right.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
And the last one I'll tell you is lasers yeah.
Lasers are going to become athing.
They are a thing.
Where are they going in ourworld in actual certification?
I'm not sure.
But for thinner material I'veseen some amazing, uh uh amazing
finish welds on products withthem and, uh, some of the major
(33:14):
manufacturers are buying themout.
So you know, if they're buyingin, it's it's, it's big yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
I, um, I I talked to the guys at Waterloo and U of A
all the time and, uh, I knowthat one of the actually I think
one of the presentations that'shappening at Weld Industry Day
in Red Deer on June 11th is a?
U of A student, eddie, and hisproject is on high-deposition
laser welding and they're doinglike half-inch,
(33:39):
three-quarter-inch open-rootfillets with like 532 laser wire
and they're sorting them outLike I mean, they're running
them root out four passes youknow these on one inch plate and
they're bending clean withalmost zero prep and like I mean
, I in the beginning it was like, oh yeah, lasers are cool If
(34:00):
you're welding tin cans, oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
That's cute, right you?
Speaker 1 (34:03):
know, but don't, that's never a thing you're
going to see in industry then.
Then I get to watch a Zingley,a half inch fillet.
It's like okay, wow.
Speaker 2 (34:10):
We're just talking productions going through the
roof.
Yeah, like, what are youtalking about?
Speaker 1 (34:14):
And like such little gas coverage is needed, right,
right, like you don't have toworry about purging or any of
this stuff.
It's, it's unreal.
This, this next level thatwe're going to be getting into,
this next level that we're goingto be getting into, yeah, and
then, like you said, once thebig manufacturers get into it,
yeah, they start dumping theirmoney into it.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
Yeah, yeah, exactly Now you know they're taking it
serious, so we need to take itserious to get to that level to
meet industry and what they'redoing in industry, right, mm-hmm
?
Speaker 1 (34:43):
Yeah, Now with skills here, you know, what have you
seen so far today?
How are the kids doing?
How are the weldments?
Speaker 2 (34:52):
It's going really well.
They fit together awesome.
So basically, like I mentionedbefore, we're mimicking National
, so it's a smaller pressurevessel.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
We don't pressurize it here, but that's what I asked
someone if you're actuallygoing to pressurize it or not,
not this one.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
It's got a viewing window on the bottom, but Not
this one.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
It's got a viewing window on the bottom.
But at nationals we do.
Yeah, Not that they all hold,but they're supposed to.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
So there's a lot of advanced skill we have every
process here so it's awesome and, yeah, just the exposure for
them, like we mentioned at lunch, just to even be involved with
this with the students, is justamazing.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
It sets them up for their career.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
It really does.
Yeah, it sets them up for theircareer.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
It really does.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
No, it's a really good,positive environment back there.
Everybody's having a great time.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Good, yep Good.
Anybody make any like hugemistakes.
This morning Anyone putanything on backwards.
It was okay, because it's theblueprints that kill you.
It was the blueprints.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
So I personally double checked them when I
stamped them to Do a little nod.
You can go back and fix this ifyou want, yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
Every year, it's always the blueprint.
It's never the skill, it's theblueprint that kills you yeah.
Yeah, and they get sneaky,because what is it?
Up to 30% changes are allowed.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
Yep 20% the morning off.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Yeah, yep, that's just mean.
That's mean yeah, we're nice,we're.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
Tomorrow's high school, so it's actually the day
one of Regina as well, so we'readvancing it.
For New Brunswick it's a firstit has three groove welds on it,
but for high school it has twoflat and horizontal, which I'm
looking forward to seeing.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
Yeah, it's a great project, Horizontal, stick or
horizontal.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
It's a F3F4.
Or I should not say they mightbe listening.
Yeah, it's an F3F4.
It's okay, just me and you andthe vending machines.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
And for the post-secondarythere's open route.
I believe there's one acrossthe top right.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
A flat open route.
Yeah, there's a TIG, there's awire, there's a stick.
So yeah, basically everyprocess will be.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
Are they going to be doing aluminum?
Speaker 2 (36:43):
No, we don't, we don.
Unfortunately, I know someprovinces like to do even a
complimentary fillet of astainless and an aluminum we
don't.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
So basically, if you win, uh, we got to get training
pretty fast, then it's go time,cause it's only a couple months
away now.
Yeah, we're not even End of May.
So yeah, about a month, about amonth.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Month away.
Oh, that's sweat time Yep, yep.
And it's a full, full out yearfor whoever that winner is.
Yeah, exactly, you know whatit's like coaching and
everything.
Yeah, it's non-stop.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Well I mean once.
Once you go to worlds, yourealize the investment that's
required to play on the bigstage right, right, it's not a.
You're doing this after work.
It's not like you're doing this.
You know, on weekends, rightit's.
You're quitting your after work.
It's not like you're doing this.
You know, on weekends, rightit's.
You're quitting your job, yep,and you are devoting eight hours
a day to practicing literallythese 15 weld types Right For
(37:39):
the next year, which can begrueling.
Yeah, I remember watching Adamjust hate his life after you
know the 900th open route in arow and we're like nope do it
again?
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Nope, do it again, and it looks like perfect.
Yeah, and they're all betterthan anything I can do.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
They're all perfect.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
But nope, do it again , it's got to.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
yeah, oh, you had one piece of spatter on there.
You better watch that angleyeah.
And you know that?
Always say that to everybody.
It's just like athletics.
This is basically.
They're competing like we wouldif we were in a sport.
Yeah, Same thing, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:14):
I always say welders are like the NHL team of the
trades.
Yeah Right, we all.
We're all missing a teeth, wegot ugly tattoos, but we wear
suits, yeah, so yeah, we cleanup, it's true.
Now, what's on tap for the restof the year?
You know, outside of skills,what's going on with the
foundation?
What do you guys gotprogramming out?
(38:34):
Uh, we're on a brand new fiscalright now, so lots of stuff
planned out for the rest of theyear.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
A lot of secrets still, because, people have
applied, so we're we're justgoing through the process.
I believe it's 30 camps thissummer wow, uh, we're doing the
capital.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
I think there was like 50 some applications, yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
Yeah, yeah.
We'd love to fund them all ifwe could.
But.
Speaker 1 (38:52):
Well, big company, hey, big, big welding.
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Yeah, yeah.
You know we'll get that fundingin, right, yeah, yeah, I've got
to put my salesman hat on forthat.
So, yeah, the camps are huge,the events, basically most of
the skills across Canada, andthen national, same as yourself,
and then the capital equipmentwill be, will be going through.
There's the weld safe programgoing through, that's right.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
the weld safe program .
Speaker 2 (39:18):
And then there's the specialty, so there's the welder
plus program.
A lot of things I don't touch,but I know that we do a lot of
it, yeah, and there's some oneoffs that come up too right,
Like we're working with thePallet Upskills program right
now, which is a big one acrossCanada.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
That's a federal program that the CWB Association
and Foundation are supporting.
Right, we have the Filling theGap program with the
Boilermakers and the.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
UTIP program, the UTIP yep.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
I mean really, it's not very many parts of this
industry.
Speaker 2 (39:46):
We're not trying to touch.
No, it's true, it's great.
It's awesome to see the uh, theuh support across Canada.
It's awesome.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Yeah, yep.
Now what do you uh?
What do you got planned for thefor yourself, like what?
What do you see in your future?
Speaker 2 (40:01):
Ooh, I don't know.
I have a great boss.
Josh is awesome.
So, as long as he didn't wantthat job.
There's Danielle, we got a coolteam we do, we do.
We got some awesome people thatwork together and we get to
work remote first, which is cool, so you're home with your
family a lot.
We do travel a lot, we have alot of flight time, a lot of
(40:22):
we're almost always home for theweekend.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
Yeah, it's true, Like I mean most of our travel is
reasonable, Right.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
It's what we signed up for.
Right, it is, we knew it is.
Yeah, yeah, it's a give andtake and they're really, they're
very nice to us and yeah, no,it's great.
Speaker 1 (40:39):
So how do people get a hold of the foundation, the
CWB foundation, how do peopleget the information to this?
And they say, hey, I have aschool with a small welding
program or I want to start awelding program or whatever it
is.
How do they look into this?
Speaker 2 (40:54):
So it's a large website but it's called
cwbweldingfoundationorg and onthere we have a info at you
email us and it comes directlyto us.
We will call you within acouple of days from questions on
curriculum support.
We work with teachers acrossCanada on that To hey, I'm
looking at running a camp.
When are they open to beapplied for that sort of thing?
Speaker 1 (41:14):
Yeah, so cwbweldingfoundationorg.
Yeah, all right, you heard ithere.
First, folks, this is where youget them, and then how do
people get a hold of you if theyneed to get a hold of you out
here in the Maritimes?
Speaker 2 (41:26):
or in the Maritimes.
In the Maritimes, like my emailaddress.
Yeah however, yeah, sure, it'sjust adamstead at
cwbweldingfoundationorg and yeah, reach out.
We have lots of awesome eventsand camps and things coming up.
They have me in the East now,so we're trying to expand a lot
through the Maritimes, that'sgood.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
It's been needed.
We've been needing that supportand when I heard that you're,
when I saw your name come up onone of the documents, I was like
oh, I'm connected in themaritime, so it helps, it does,
and you need that right.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
You do, you do, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
So awesome Thanks so much for being on the show and
being with questions aboutrunning a camp or being involved
with the Wilding Foundation atall.
You know, reach out at any timeand also the association is
there to support you and yourstudents and you for your whole
careers.
So you can always sign up foryour free membership at
cwbassociationorg.
(42:19):
Keep downloading and sharingthe podcast.
We love you.
We still got lots more comingout from New Brunswick here in
Atlantic Canada and I'm excitedto do them all.
So check them all out and I'llcheck in the next one.
We hope you enjoy the show.
Speaker 3 (42:45):
Do you own a company in the welding industry or want
to share a targeted message withour listeners?
Then this 45-second audio adspace could be yours.
We have the coolest listenersfrom all over the world, with
over 60,000 downloads, and 88%are from North America.
This podcast serves to educateand connect the welding
community together and isavailable on all major platforms
(43:07):
, including the CWB GroupNetwork.
If you are interested, reachout to info at cwbassociationorg
.
Look at that.
I just gave you all of thatinformation in only 45 seconds.
You've been listening to theCWB Association Welding Podcast
and if you enjoyed what youheard today or want to send us
(43:28):
some questions to answer, youcan text the show using the link
in the episode descriptionbelow.
We can't wait to hear from you.
Please subscribe or visit us atcwbassociationorg to learn more
.
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