“Welding used to be hard and dirty work, and many people still believe that today,” says Egon Marder, welding instructor at the Hansavest Training Centre. “In reality, we now use ventilated welding masks and other aids. With modern welding equipment, the work process has become more precise and easier.” Despite the prevailing gender stereotype, he believes that welding can be a suitable profession for both men and women, regardless of age. If you are even a little interested in welding, you can succeed in this field.
Kirke Tomson completed a welding course at the Hansavest Training Centre in autumn 2021. She took a bold approach to self-development, career choices and job hunting. By nature Kirke is shy and gentle, but many-sided – she grew up in the Pärnu countryside and plays the violin, practises martial arts such as Thai boxing and enjoys motorcycles.
Studying at Hansavest
Kirke heard about Hansavest from her brother, who knew about the training centre’s excellent learning environment. “On the first day of the course I had eagerly put on my welding overalls, but it turned out that we would first learn the theoretical side of welding. Afterwards we got to put the theory into practice and put our work clothes on,” Kirke recalls, adding that she did not find the course boring.
Kirke studied for two months, with classes three times a week. The course began with electrode welding, which Kirke considered an important skill when looking for welding jobs. The welding unit is small enough to carry around – for example, if a tractor breaks down on the road, a worker could take the unit along and weld on the spot. The students also got to try TIG welding, which is used for welding thinner material. They tried TIG welding on products where precision and detail are important, such as furniture and frames. In addition, Kirke learned semi-automatic welding, which is used to produce many kinds of products – this type of welding is in high demand in Europe.
Kirke marvels at the possibilities of welding. “You can make anything out of iron! A garden gate, for example – imagine what it could look like. You cut the pipes and weld them together. At home you could easily repair cracks in the metal of an iron-based object,” Kirke explains. “I am certainly not an expert yet. I need to develop my skills and learn more about welding positions, but I can already skilfully do everything that is required of me.”
“I don’t remember feeling anxious during my studies; the whole time I thought with an ‘I can do this’ attitude – no matter what happened. Welding gives me an indescribable sense of freedom!” Kirke says. She admitted that welding was the first activity in her life in which she stayed focused, sharp and mentally content. Before welding, she suffered from anxiety. “When I weld, I don’t worry about the future, life events or what to cook at home – I just focus on welding.”
Janek Sirg, founder of the Hansavest Training Centre, puts it simply: “If the welding is not done well, ships won’t sail very far and buildings won’t stay standing.” Manufacturers inspect the quality of welds carefully – both visually and by X-ray. This allows any cracks or defects to be detected at an early stage. At the end of the working day, a welder sees the result of their work, and work problems do not follow them home.
Operating welding machines does not require strength; it is all about precision. That is why it is a suitable activity for everyone. Kirke was a little afraid of what people would think of female welders, but she has in fact received a lot of positive feedback. “My family is proud of me. So are my friends, who were a bit puzzled by my career choice at first, because I had been to university. I have come across only one case, where an older man who had heard about my welding studies asked whether I felt I had been born in the wrong body. I said no.”
To develop her welding skills, Kirke found a job at an iron ore mine in northern Sweden. “I’m starting as a welder in Kiruna, where the work is varied – repairing mine lines, making metal fences, bridges and jigs, and coming up with solutions both in the workshop and at the mine site.”
Kristjan Rähn, Director of the Hansavest Training Centre, has said that there is no right age or time to acquire or expand knowledge – what matters most is your own will. That is why we take into account and value everyone who chooses our training centre to learn valuable skills. The Hansavest Training Centre was originally built in Pärnu to train and test Hansavest’s workforce, which we recruit for our clients in manufacturing. Since then it has grown and been recognised as a competent and reliable training centre. That is why keen local learners like Kirke have chosen to study and train at the Hansavest Training Centre. We offer testing and training for welders, CNC and robot operators, among others. We teach theory, but valuable practical skills have always been at the heart of every course. It is important to us that everyone who has completed a course at the Hansavest Training Centre has gained skills that can be used immediately in working life – this gives them the knowledge, self-confidence and practical skills to do their work skilfully and independently!
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