Analyzes engineering drawings, blueprints, specifications, sketches, work orders, and material safety data sheets to plan layout, assembly, and welding operations; determines required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy and welding techniques; prepares welding surfaces to be welded. Recognizes, sets up, and operates hand and power tools common to the welding trade, such as a shielded metal arc and gas metal arc welding equipment; operates manual or semi-automatic welding equipment to fuse metal segments, using appropriate welding processes.