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Welding fumes are known to cause respiratory health problems. We aimed to evaluate the long-term respiratory effects of exposure to welding fumes. Inception cohorts of welding, plumbing, and heating apprentices were prospectively contacted 7-17 years post-apprenticeship. Questionnaires, as well as spirometry and non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness (NSBHR) tests were repeatedly administered. A long-term evaluation was done in 71 former apprentices at the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal between 2013 and 2017. Post-apprenticeship exposure to welding fumes and gasses was evaluated using three methods: self-report, expert assessment and the asthmaspecific job exposure matrix. The incidence of wheezing and excessive lung function decline, given continued post-apprenticeship exposure to welding fumes, was estimated using Cox regression. Incident wheezing was found in 18.8% of subjects, and excessive lung function decline was observed in 12.7% of subjects. All three exposure assessment methods consistently showed that subjects with continued, post-apprenticeship exposure to welding fumes or gasses had a lower risk of developing wheezing symptoms or excessive decline in lung function, although none of the associations were significant. In conclusion, continued post-apprenticeship exposure to welding fumes does not seem to increase the risk of developing long-term respiratory outcomes.