Metal working has been a part of me since welding classes in high school and have enjoyed continuous learning about my trade throughout my career. I am a red seal welder as well as a red seal metal fabricator qualified in many processes. I started at my first shop doing the standard stuff of getting materials, running saws,grinding, and whatever else was needed to get the job done and loaded on a truck. Learning my trade under a journeyman welder I moved up tackling harder and harder projects. I became proficient at stairs, beams, columns,joists,handrail,ladders,guarding,shearing/forming/plate rolling.Eventually I became lead hand and ran the floor until the business closed during a downturn in the market. in 2007 I started working for General Electric Canada. The product line here introduced me to heavy fabrication work with plate thicknesses of 8-10 inch and weld sizing up to 2 inch. Due to the product being a fairly complex custom machine you were always building something new so you were always challenged and never bored. I pretty much enjoyed going to work every day. I moved up from the heavy fab to doing sheet metal fabrications. Trust me when I say if you can weld sheet metal and keep it straight you can do anything! Under my senior tradesmen I have learned everyday and thank them for it. After G.E I moved into a maintenance position at Gerdau. Steel Mills are a tough business with lots to learn. I went from fix that hole guy to lead hand. There are no small jobs in a steel mill which make it a great place to expand your skills.