1. A method for manual welder training, comprising: (a) providing a welding training apparatus, wherein the training apparatus further includes both hardware and software components, wherein the training apparatus is operative to gather and process data in real time, and wherein the data is derived from an actual training exercise conducted by a welding trainee; (b) selecting training objectives from a predetermined number of predefined objectives; (c) initializing a curriculum for the trainee, wherein the curriculum is based on the selected training objectives; (d) performing at least one training exercise, wherein the training exercise is based on or is a component of the curriculum, and wherein the at least one training exercise further includes at least one execution task; (e) providing real-time feedback to the trainee, wherein the real-time feedback is based on the performance of the trainee during the training exercise; (f) evaluating the performance of the trainee based on weld quality data gathered and processed during the training exercise; (g) optionally, adapting the curriculum based on the trainee's performance evaluation; and (h) awarding credentials, certifications, or the like to the trainee following successful completion of the curriculum.