Confucius is quoted as saying “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” If that’s true, then Tim Ross spends very little time working. His job allows him to combine his love of welding with his desire to pass on his knowledge to others.
“I love the preciseness required to complete a successful weld,” he said. “And I also love sharing the knowledge I have gained over my career to students in the Welder program so they can have a successful career as well.”
Tim, who completed a pre-apprenticeship program in Heavy Duty Mechanics before earning his Red Seal in both welding and metal fabrication, has developed his knowledge through many years of working in a variety of industries.
He joined the College as an auxiliary Basic Welding instructor in 2002 and by 2009, was instructing full time, in all levels of the Welder program. In addition to his instructional duties, he has also taken on the role of coordinator for all of the Trades programs.
Though he gains satisfaction from being able to help students to be successful in the welding trade, it is his students who have helped him to discover how to be a better teacher.
“I have learned that clear communication is essential so there are no ambiguities in the information I am trying to convey,” he said.
When not in the welding shop, Tim is often still creating with his hands. He enjoys working in his garage at home and tackling yard work like renovations and landscaping. When he takes a break from work, you can often find Tim on a walk with his dog.
His words of advice to his students ring particularly true as we continue to navigate life through a global pandemic. He says simply, “Persevere, it will work out.”