The demand for welders keeps on increasing and Canada is among the countries with a booming welding industry. Several skilled welders are needed in different sectors whether in the construction, manufacturing, or shipbuilding.
However, just like many professional skills, cost always comes as a big concern. And, the crazy part is the cost of studying keeps on increasing.
Not to worry, aspiring welder, you can find the right cheapest welding course in Canada for you that still provides top-notch education. Yes, it’s essential that any school you’ll choose – whether it’s very affordable – provides the required training to prepare you for a welding career.
Also, if you’re an international student, you’re free to go through some of the welding programs for foreign students in Canada or some other welding schools in the country.
That said, this blog post will first help you understand the average cost of welding courses in Canada, and then it will dive deeper into listing the low-cost welding programs in the country.
Let’s get started.
Average Cost of Welding Courses in Canada
The fact remains that the cost of welding courses varies based on factors like program length, delivery type, location, and whether you’re a domestic or international student.
In the case of program Length, shorter introductory programs are cheaper than comprehensive longer programs. Also, if you intend to enroll in a private school, expect to pay more compared to someone who is enrolling in a welding course offered by public colleges.
Furthermore, citizens and permanent residents of Canada pay a lot less than international students.
That said, welding courses in Canada fall within a range of $2,500 to $17,000 for domestic students, but higher for international students.
Remember tuition cost is not the only factor to consider when calculating the cost of studying in a welding program, you should also consider the cost of materials and textbooks, living expenses, etc.
Cheapest Welding Course in Canada
1. Canadore College – Mechanical Techniques – Welder-Fitter
- Location: 5001, North Bay, Ontario P1B 8K9
| Program | 30 Weeks – Ontario College Certificate | 42 Weeks – Ontario College Diploma |
| Tuition | $2720.24 | $5440.5 |
Canadore College doesn’t only offer Value-for-money welding courses in Canada, it designed its programs to enable you to learn multiple welding processes at one of the 40 individual welding stations. Some of the processes you’ll learn include shield metal arc welding (SMAW), Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW), gas metal arc (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), etc.
2. Vancouver Island University – Welding
- Location: 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo, BC, V9R 5S5, Canada
| Program | Welder Foundation | Welder Foundation & Welder Fitter |
| Tuition | $3,425.87 | $6,413.59 |
VIU offers several levels of training, including the cheapest welding course in Canada: a 28-week introductory program that prepares students for entry into this industry. Once you’re working in the industry, you’re free to return for VIU’s apprenticeship Welding programs, which prepare you to achieve Red Seal certification.
3. Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) – Welding
- Duration: 2 years
| Domestic Students Tuition | $3,620 per year |
| International students tuition | $11,690 per year |
Besides the fact that this program will teach you how to permanently join pieces of metal, you’ll also learn various welding and cutting processes to join structural steel and cut metal in vessels, piping, and other components.
4. Conestoga College – Welding Techniques
- Duration: 1 year
- Location: 299 Doon Valley Drive, Kitchener, Ontario N2G 4M4, Canada
| Domestic Students tuition | $2,696 per year |
| International students tuition | $14,163 per year |
Conestoga College provides one of the most affordable welding classes in Canada in its state-of-the-art facility, using modern equipment. You’ll be focusing on common arc welding processes such as Shielded SMAW or ‘stick’, GMAW or ‘MIG’, FCAW, GTAW or ‘TIG’.
5. Fanshawe – Welding Techniques
- Program Length: 30 weeks
- Location: 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd. London, Ontario
| Domestic Students total (cost of the program) | $3,237.46 |
| International students (total cost of the program) | $15,420.84 |
This cheapest welding course in Canada will only take you 1 year to complete which also includes a mandatory work placement. Within the period you’ll learn a wide range of skills needed in today’s fast-paced workplaces, including health and safety, blueprint readings and sketching, etc.
6. College of New Caledonia – Welder Foundation
- Program Length: 1 year
- Location: 3330-22nd Ave. Prince George, BC, V2N 1P8
| Program | Welder Foundation |
| Tuition | $4,084 |
This low-cost welding training in Canada provided by the College of New Caledonia will equip you with the basic skills needed to join an entry-level welding career.
7. Southern Alberta Institute of Technology – Pre-employment Welding
- Program Length: 12 weeks
- Location: 1301-16 Avenue NW, Calgary AB, T2M 0L4
| Program | Pre-employment Welding |
| Tuition (Domestic Students) | $6,585 |
Considering the short length of this Pre-employment Welding program it might seem the cost is high but we added it because of the provision of financial aid and also their 100% graduate employment rate. The program will help you to focus on skills pertinent to Alberta’s oil service, pipeline, and construction sectors.
8. Vancouver Community College – Basic Welding Procedures
- Program Length: 30.0 hours
| Program | Basic Welding Procedures |
| Tuition (Domestic Students) | $216 |
In this very short (30 hours) cost-effective welding education in Vancouver, you’ll be focusing on basic oxyacetylene, Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Metal Inert Gas (MIG), and Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW ) welding procedures and safety practices.
9. British Columbia Institute of Technology – Welding
- Program Length: Varies
- Location: 3700 Willingdon Ave. Burnaby, British Columbia
| Program | Welder Foundation | Welder Apprenticeship | Welding, Level A | Welding, Level B |
| Tuition (Domestic Students) | $5,035.80 | $4,854.68 (full program) | $157.87 (full program) | $157.87 (full program) |
You can see that BCIT provides different welding programs to accommodate different students, and all of them provide the training required for Provincial Welder certification. You can also choose one of their part-time welding courses that you find interesting and one of the best things is that they are all affordable.
10. Okanagan College – Welder Foundation
- Program Length: 28 weeks
- Locations: The Welder Foundation is offered in its four locations: Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, and Salmon Arm
| Program | Welder Foundation |
| Tuition | $4,475.12 (Kelowna, Penticton, Salmon Arm) $4,533.92 (Vernon) |
This cheapest welding course in Canada is designed to help students with little or no previous experience in the welding trade and supplies them with the necessary skills to seek employment in this industry as an apprentice or foundation welder. Graduates of this program will have technical training for levels 1 & 2 and 300 work-based hours and have the opportunity to write the Standardized Level Exam at the end of the course.
11. Red Deer Polytechnic – Welder Apprenticeship
- Program Length: 3 years
- Location: 100 College Blvd | Red Deer | AB | T4N 5H5 | Canada
| Program | Welder Apprenticeship |
| Tuition | $4,354.5 ($1,451.5 per period) |
In this low-cost apprenticeship welder program, most of your time will be spent supporting and applying the theory you learn in class. In fact, 80% of your apprenticeship is on the job, practicing your trade or profession, and 20% in the classroom or lab through structured learning at RDP.
12. Niagara College Canada – Welding
- Program Length: 1 and 2-2.5 years
- Locations:
- Welland Campus: 100 Niagara College Boulevard, Welland, Ontario L3C 7L3
- Daniel J. Patterson Campus: 135 Taylor Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario L0S 1J0
| Domestic Students tuition | $5,334.48 per year |
| International students tuition | $18,179.50 per year |
Niagara College provides three (3) affordable welding classes in Canada which are:
- Welding Techniques – takes 1 year to complete
- Welding Technician (2-year diploma)
- Welder Apprenticeship (2 to 2.5 years to complete)
13. Northern Alberta Institute of Technology – Advanced Welding Technology
- Program Length: 2 years
- Location: 11762 – 106 Street, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T5G 2R1
| Domestic Students tuition | $253 per credit hour |
| International students tuition | $743 per credit hour |
Just like the name, this program goes beyond the Alberta Welder Apprenticeship training. It combines advanced technical knowledge, welding skills, and exposure to modern technologies to give a graduate a competitive edge in a career in welding.
14. RRC Polytech – Welding
- Program Length: 1 year
| Domestic Students tuition | $6,166 per year |
| International students tuition | $18,620 per year |
In this pocket-friendly welding course, you’ll start by learning oxyacetylene welding and cutting, then the arc welding component will come immediately after you’re done with first topic. During your last eight weeks with them you’ll start learning metal inert gas (MIG) and tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding components and specialty welding applications.
15. Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology – Industrial Welding
- Program Length: 1 year
| Domestic Students tuition | $6,516 per year |
| International students tuition | $17,850 per year |
This affordable welding course in Canada will help you build a strong foundation of the knowledge and skills required to design and build products by cutting and joining materials using ferrous and non-ferrous materials.
16. Keyano College – Pre-Employment – Welder
- Location: 8115 Franklin Avenue, Fort McMurray, Alberta, T9H 2H7
| Domestic Students tuition | $6,755 per year |
| International students tuition | $20,265 per year |
By completing this program you won’t only be equipped with the technical knowledge and skills of a first-year electrical apprentice, but you’ll also obtain many safety certifications required to work in the industry.
Key Takeaway
We know that cost is always on the minds of most aspiring welders or parents of aspiring welders – and it’s ok to do that. But it shouldn’t be your core reason for choosing a school or course, you also need to focus on your goal, on programs that offer good quality training, potential certifications that will equip you for success in the welding industry, etc.
Our list in this blog is focused on affordable welding courses in Canada that meet your needs and set you on the path to a rewarding career.
