(upbeat music) (energetic music) - My name is Ryan Becker.

I am a Journeyman, Boilermaker, Welder.

(energetic music) When you're a boilermaker, you're the jack of all trades.

You're grinding, you're burning, you're welding, you're a mechanic too, you're not just a welder.

It's my first day on the job.

I, usually, I always get there 30 minutes before, you never wanna be late.

We will go over safety and stuff, always kind of do a little testing.

Usually, the general foreman will give, you know, the task of what we're doing for the day to all the foremans.

And all the other workers will be assigned to each individual foreman.

It could be five people or so.

Kind of discuss on what the plan is, how we're gonna do it, and then we do it.

We grab the right tools that we need and get the job done.

In the past couple jobs I've done overlay welding, you know, being on top of a tower, you know, probably 150 feet high.

It was a great job, it was actually a really fun job.

And if you're not afraid of heights or confined spaces, like you do a lot of cool stuff.

You do really cool stuff.

Like you'd be amazed at some of the things that we do.

You just see it just before your eyes, and it's just like, "Whoa."

It's insane.

When you're in the zone and you get into welding, like time just flies by.

And you're working around with so many cool guys, and you mess with each other, and we have fun, but we get the job done in a safe, secured manner.

(casual music) Through your apprenticeship and into your journeyman, you will learn so much, and you will get so much better, and you'll benefit from everything that you like took in from everyone learning.

You don't learn just from one person, you learn from everybody.

You know, it's hard work, but, you know, I'm a tough dude, I can handle it.

(thoughtful music) Starting right off the bat, beginner apprentice, you'll be making $32 an hour.

And as you gradually start going through your apprenticeship, each year, you will get a raise.

But as long as you're up on top of your schoolwork and you're welding certs, you will get higher raises throughout.

You could be a third-year apprentice at 90% rate because if you're ahead of everything, you'll just kind of just, you'll speed up, and you'll make $40 an hour within three years.

But that's if you're gonna put the effort in and put the work in, because if you don't and you slack, then, you know, then you're just going to be just kind of just chugging along.

You're not gonna be really moving anywhere fast.

(daring music) Well, I also I'm a snowboarder.

So I love snowboarding in the winter time.

And I always take a vacation in February to go to Colorado or Utah.

And because of me working in this type of trade, I'm able to afford those things, and have fun, and enjoy my life.

So usually, after the end of the hard day's work, your foreman will say, "Yo, good job today."

And just getting a good job at the end of the day means so much.

I just love the work that I do.

It's really cool.

It's dangerous.

But it's like it's exhilarating.

Like it's just like, "Wow."

Like I'm 100 feet up and just like looking over and it's just like, "Wow, this is crazy."

And like some people might scare you, but for me, it's just like, it's just so cool.

And like we just do a lot of cool stuff, and that's why I'm still doing it.

And the money is great, you know, you make great money, you know?

And I mean, that's what it really kind of all comes down to, you know, all of that.

(uplifting music) (uplifting music intensifies)