People of Carrier Drive

Colin Wildman married his career with his passion for welding

By Cindy Giang

Cindy is a student in the Bachelor of Public Relations program and is currently a Work Study student at the Centre for Skilled Trades & Technology, Carrier Drive.

Welding Techniques program coordinator Colin Wildman says this about his trade. “I saw that there was an opening for a welding program and as soon as I tried it – I loved it.” With previous experiences in a variety of jobs including the hospitality industry Colin found his passion in welding.

Having to work as a cook for 12 years after high school, Colin wanted more. He learned that many professions such as boilermakers need welders, and many older welders were retiring so there were spaces just waiting to be filled. With that in mind, he went to college and got certified with the Canadian Welding Bureau Group before working for four years as a welder at a company in Guelph. Longing to pursue higher career goals, he took a leap of faith and applied to be a parttime welding instructor at Humber College.

Colin says his favourite part of being an instructor is seeing his student’s progression, from “shaking like a leaf when they see all the things that can potentially kill you,” to being comfortable with the equipment. He is motivated to be an instructor that can make a difference by adapting his lesson plans to his student’s knowledge on a daily basis. His love for welding and his adaptive teaching style led him to be hired as a full-time instructor, which he says was his most memorable career moment because it gave him a “big sense of security.”

Colin’s dynamic contributions have led him to his current role as a program coordinator, where he is actively involved in creating course outlines and helping students with getting hired in the field. It also allows him to “improve the program everyday to help students learn to develop a better skillset.”

His message to students: be courageous in pursuing your passion. For anyone that has an interest in getting into welding, he highly encourages him or her to do it. “Not everybody is going to like it, but the people that like it are going to love it,” explains Colin.