Back on topic...as far as "welding being a trade," I'm of the belief that it's NOT. Specifically, in order for it to be a "trade" someone would have to be able to make a living welding all day long, and that's very rare. In todays world welding is a skill that helps a person fulfill a task. Much as machining is. Actually, I'd call machining a broader trade than welding, since it involves a lot more processes. Welding may have been a trade back in the glory days of the USA's heavy industry, but not now.