WATCH: New revolutionary trade course defies reality

Augmented reality course claims to be the future of Australia's welding industry.

AUGMENTED REALITY: Garry Hargreaves from Tafe Queensland demonstrates fusion welding to attendees at the South West Tafe in Kingaroy. Picture: Matt Collins

AUSTRALIA'S tradies are leading the way in professionalism, respectability and innovation.

That innovation is currently being further showcased through an augmented reality course which is being touted to revolutionise how welding courses are taught.

Created by Tafe Queensland, the Queensland Government and Weld Australia, the Course in Fusion Welding to ISO 9606 is claimed to be the future of Australia's welding industry.

Corporate Solutions Manager with Tafe Queensland, Garry Hargreaves said the fusion welding program allows local manufacturers to bring their skills up to meet ISO standards.

"If they want to get into supply chains like defence this could be their way to do that," he said.

Mr Hargreaves presented an information session on the course to a room of apprentices and tradespeople at Tafe South West in Kingaroy on Monday, July 29.

AUGMENTED REALITY: Garry Hargreaves from Tafe Queensland demonstrates fusion welding to attendees at the South West Tafe in Kingaroy. Picture: Matt Collins

The augmented reality course allows users to practice their skills on a welding simulator before they navigate their way through the potential dangers of the real welding world.

"Welding fumes have been proven to be carcinogenic," Mr Hargreaves said.

"This limits exposure to those elements."

Mr Hargreaves said the augmented welding course will create better welders, faster.

"What we are finding is you can practice your angles and speed of welds much faster before you strike a live spark," he said.

"It speeds up the time to competency by up to 40 per cent.

"People get from one level to the next much, much quicker."

Younger tradespeople are enjoying the course for its close link to a hobby some know all to well, computer games.

"Certainly younger guys and girls appreciate the gamification side," Mr Hargreaves said.

"They are interested in that approach."

But the new welding simulator will even benefit the most seasoned welding professional.

"Welders over a period of time develop bad habits," Mr Hargreaves said.

"The program can break down the weld into segments. It allows the older and more experienced welders to zoom in on parts of the weld they need to improve on."

Mr Hargreaves said the biggest challenge for local tradespeople is finding time to fit the 80 hour course into their work schedule.

"We are being as flexible as possible. We are finding that we have got to fit in with the local production schedule," he said.

During the Kingaroy information session, Mr Hargreaves was further convinced of the notion that females are the best welders.

"Their attention to detail is really quite good," he said.

For more information on the course in Fusion Welding to ISO 9606 go to the Tafe Queensland website.