Evening welding training in Chicago.
Taught by owner-welder Craig Rainford. Build practical skills for your next step in work. Our proposed 12-week evening program welcomes returning citizens and other adults facing barriers to employment. No welding experience required. Join the interest list to get confirmed dates, location, costs and enrollment details first.
A trade that pays — taught by a shop that works
Welding is hands-on, in-demand work that starts with a high school diploma or equivalent and on-the-job training. We’re a working Chicago fabrication shop, and this program is built around what shops like ours actually hire for.
Median annual pay for welders nationally (about $25.84/hour), May 2025.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Welder job openings projected each year, 2025–2035, mostly from workers leaving or retiring.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Typical entry route: a high school diploma or equivalent, then moderate-term on-the-job training. That’s exactly the gap this program targets.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
National figures; the BLS page does not give Chicago-specific numbers. These are not earnings promises for program graduates.
Taught by a qualified welder, backed by a certified shop
City of Chicago certified MBE
C.L. Rainford Welding & Fabrication is certified by the City of Chicago Department of Procurement Services. The approval letter is posted in full.
Your instructor: Craig Rainford
Owner and lead instructor Craig Rainford passed an AWS D1.1 structural welder qualification (SMAW, 3G, 1″ plate) in March 2026. The full test record is public.
What you’ll learn
Mild-steel MIG (GMAW) welding, shop safety, measurement, reading basic drawings and weld symbols, material preparation, cutting and grinding, fit-up, weld inspection and a small fabrication project — plus employment preparation and an individual next-step plan. We teach one process well rather than five badly.
Where the 180 hours go
Lab hours include setup, cutting, grinding, fit-up, inspection and practical assessment — they are not all arc-on time. Every learner’s booth time is logged.
Week by week
Phase 1 · Foundations
Weeks 1–4. Safety first, then measure, prepare and start laying beads.
1Safety & entry
Orientation, shop rules, OSHA 10 and the safety gate.
- M
- Orientation and shop rules
- T
- OSHA 10 provider session 1
- W
- OSHA session 2
- Th
- OSHA session 3
- F
- OSHA session 4 and shop safety gate
2Measurement & preparation
Tape, squares, calipers, layout, grinding, cutting.
- M
- Tape fractions and units
- T
- Squares, calipers and layout
- W
- Grinding and material preparation
- Th
- Supervised cutting and edge preparation
- F
- Drawing-to-parts exercise
3GMAW setup & beads
Equipment, polarity, gas, stringer beads.
- M
- Equipment, polarity and consumables
- T
- Shielding gas and approved settings
- W
- Stringer beads
- Th
- Travel angle, speed and stickout
- F
- Repeatability assessment
4Fillet joints
T-joints, laps, flat and horizontal fillets.
- M
- T-joint fit-up
- T
- Flat fillets
- W
- Lap joints
- Th
- Horizontal fillets
- F
- Visual inspection and repair practice
Phase 2 · Skill & Quality
Weeks 5–8. Read prints, control distortion, inspect your own work.
5Drawings & distortion
Weld symbols, cut lists, fit-up, sequencing.
- M
- Weld symbols
- T
- Cut list and fit-up
- W
- Tacking and sequencing
- Th
- Multi-pass practice as applicable
- F
- Midpoint practical
6Quality & employment
Defects, inspection, WPS literacy, resume.
- M
- Porosity and lack of fusion
- T
- Undercut and profile
- W
- Supervised destructive demonstration
- Th
- WPS literacy and work-history resume
- F
- Mock employer task
7Production consistency
Troubleshooting, repeatable assemblies, timed quality.
- M
- Parameter troubleshooting
- T
- Horizontal practice
- W
- Repeated assemblies
- Th
- Sequencing and productivity
- F
- Timed quality task
8Qualification preparation
Agreed test scope, coupon practice, readiness.
- M
- Agreed test scope review
- T
- Joint preparation
- W
- Relevant coupon practice
- Th
- Stops, starts and cleaning
- F
- Readiness assessment
Phase 3 · Build & Launch
Weeks 9–12. Build a project, rehearse the test, plan your next step.
9Fabrication project
A real noncritical build: print to finished part.
- M
- Print and cut list
- T
- Layout and preparation
- W
- Fit-up and tack
- Th
- Weld sequence
- F
- Dimensions and defect review
10Project & job readiness
Finish, inspect, First Aid/CPR/AED, interview practice.
- M
- Complete welds
- T
- Inspect and correct
- W
- Project report
- Th
- First Aid / CPR / AED provider session
- F
- Provider completion and interview practice
11Employment & testing decisions
Employer demo, hiring-test rehearsal, portfolio.
- M
- Employer demonstration
- T
- Hiring weld-test rehearsal
- W
- Individualized remediation
- Th
- Final mock test
- F
- Portfolio and outside test booking
12Final assessment & transition
Practicals, results review, transition meeting.
- M
- Independent setup and safety
- T
- Drawing fit-up practical
- W
- Weld practical
- Th
- Remediation or reassessment
- F
- Results review and transition meeting
Three hours, no wasted minutes
Pattern for most shop evenings. Safety-provider sessions follow the provider’s own plan.
Straight talk about what each one means
Several different documents get called “certifications.” We spell out who issues each one and what it actually proves. Final offerings will be confirmed before enrollment.
| Credential | Plan | Who issues it & what it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Program completion certificate | Core | C.L. Rainford, after published attendance and competency requirements. A skills transcript lists the processes, materials and positions you were actually assessed on. Not an AWS credential. |
| OSHA 10 General Industry card | Core | An OSHA-authorized Outreach trainer. A completion card showing safety training, not a certification and not a substitute for employer-specific training. |
| First Aid / CPR / AED | Planned | A recognized provider such as the American Red Cross, with hands-on skills assessment. |
| AWS Certified Welder | If ready | You test at an outside AWS Accredited Test Facility, where a Certified Welding Inspector examines a sound weld, and AWS reviews the records. The test scope is set with the facility and employers. Passing is individual and not guaranteed, and keeping the credential active takes six-month maintenance filings. |
| NCCER modules or AWS SENSE | Phase two | Require an approved program and their own assessments. Not part of the first cohort. |
Program completion does not guarantee certification, a job interview or employment.
Who it’s for
Adults 18 or older who can attend the schedule, perform essential shop tasks (with reasonable accommodation), follow safety rules and are legally permitted to attend the location. No prior welding experience is required. A short measurement and reading check is used to plan your support, not to screen you out.
How we treat applicants
- No blanket exclusion because of a conviction
- Supervision restrictions and site-access limits are worked out individually
- Admission to training is separate from any employer’s hiring decision
- Confidential accommodation requests and an accessible grievance process
- You never have to describe your record to us on a public form
What we won’t promise
- A job, an interview, or a particular wage
- That you’ll pass an AWS test — readiness is decided together
- Free seats before sponsorship is actually secured
- Support services we haven’t confirmed
- That this replaces a longer apprenticeship or college program
Honest status: still being built
This is a proposed program. We would rather tell you that than advertise seats we can’t yet fill. Before enrollment opens, these are being locked down and will be posted here:
- Training authority. Illinois requires approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education for vocational training programs unless an exemption applies. We will operate through an authorized arrangement or an approved exemption.
- Site, dates and transit. Exact address, cohort dates, and how to get there.
- Costs and support. Tuition or sponsorship, PPE, whether training is paid, transportation help, and testing fees.
- Staff and providers. Craig Rainford leads instruction. Still being confirmed: lab support, a navigator, and the OSHA and First Aid providers.
- Testing route and employers. An agreed outside test facility, and employer input on the process and tests they actually use.
Work in progress. We review this list weekly — see everything we’re building out.
Help us build it right
Referral partners
Reentry, workforce and community organizations: tell us what would make referrals practical — transportation, supervision permissions, attendance and income barriers. Referral stays voluntary, and information is shared only with explicit consent.
Employers
Which processes, materials, positions and hiring tests do you use for entry-level welders? Review a sample practical task, advise on the curriculum, and consider interviewing graduates whose demonstrated skills match your openings.
Questions we expect
Do I need welding experience?
No. Week one is safety, and the first month builds from measuring and material preparation up to your first fillet welds.
Is it free? Is it paid?
Not yet confirmed. We start small — just three seats in the first cohort — so every learner gets real one-on-one time at the booth. We won’t advertise free seats until sponsorship or funding is secured. Costs, PPE arrangements and any pay will be posted before enrollment opens.
Why MIG and not stick or TIG?
Mild-steel MIG (GMAW) is a common entry-level production process and can be taught well in 12 weeks. Stick (SMAW) and flux-core can be introduced, but mastering them takes more time. If employers we interview need a different process, we will redesign the program around it.
Will I be AWS certified at the end?
Not automatically. You earn a program completion certificate. If you demonstrate readiness, you can pursue a specified AWS performance test at an outside Accredited Test Facility. Passing is up to you on the day, and the test scope is agreed in advance.
Does a record keep me out?
No blanket exclusion. Specific supervision or site-access restrictions are handled individually. Please don’t put offense details in the form below — we’ll talk privately.
The class starts at 4 PM. What if I work days?
That is a real barrier, and we’d rather hear it now. Tell us in the form below so we can plan the schedule around the people who actually want to attend.
When does it start?
Dates aren’t set. Join the interest list and you’ll hear first.
Express interest
Tell us who you are and how to reach you. We’ll discuss your goals, schedule and any support you may need, then send confirmed details when enrollment opens. We aim to reply within two business days.
Prefer to talk? Call (773) 884-9694 or email info@clrainford.com.