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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Mendon MI

How to Choose a Welder Technical School near Mendon Michigan

Mendon MI welding school studentChoosing the right welding vocational school near Mendon MI is an important first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have narrowed down your alternatives, how do you select the right one? A number of prospective students begin by looking at the schools that are closest to their residences. Once they have found those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary issues when reviewing welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before beginning your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s sensible to establish a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Degree and Certificate Training Programs

Mendon MI welder working on pipingThere are a number of options to receive training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can obtain a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are short summaries of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Mendon MI.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are normally made available by trade and technical schools and require about 1 year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned primarily to teach welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental skills for experienced welders.
  • Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to complete and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still supplying the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Many municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so be sure to check for your location of future employment. If required, the welder school you select should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to supplying the suitable training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Choices

Mendon MI welder working on poleThere are multiple organizations that offer welding certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Mendon MI employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available dependent on the type of work that the welder performs. Some of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

  • Work in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with certain metal thicknesses
  • Work with certain types of welds
  • Work based on contract specifications

As earlier stated, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, some also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and verify that the welder vocational school you decide on preps you for certification as needed.

How to Decide on a Welder Trade School

Mendon MI welder working on carWhen you have chosen the credential you want to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of welding trade and technical schools in the Mendon MI area. That’s why it’s essential to determine up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered 2 important ones that many people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the school you pick is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are some additional factors you might want to evaluate before picking a welding tech school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder trade school you select is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are two basic kinds of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school offers, for instance Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you receive a superior education, the accreditation might also assist in getting financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available in Mendon MI for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Many welding degree or certificate programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools should have relationships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for placements. These programs can help students find employment and establish associations within the Mendon MI welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an instructional program and complete it. It’s important that the welder school you choose has a higher completion rate. A low rate may mean that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only verify that the program has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Mendon MI contacts to help students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your selection of welder schools to 2 or 3 options, you should consider visiting the campuses to look over their facilities. Confirm that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with in the field. If you are unsure what to look for, and are currently in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Mendon MI welding contractor if they can give you a few suggestions.

School Location. Even though we already briefly talked about the significance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to cover. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welding program you select must be within driving distance of your Mendon MI home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides moving expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welding diploma programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you subsequently will want to work.

Small Classes. Individualized training is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to be overlooked in bigger classes and not obtain much one-on-one instruction. Find out what the average class size is for the welding schools you are considering. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can experience just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, talk to a couple of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Mendon MI, confirm that the schools you are considering provide those alternatives. If you can only enroll part-time, confirm that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Mendon MI?

Perhaps you live in the Mendon Michigan area, or have decided to enroll in a Welding Program that has a campus near there.  In either case, you may find this bit of history both interesting and informative.

Mendon, Michigan

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.02 square miles (2.64 km2), of which 1.01 square miles (2.62 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.[1]

After United States acquisition of this territory following the American Revolution, settlers began to enter from eastern states in the early 19th century. The original county of St. Joseph was divided by Americans into townships. Mendon township was settled in 1831. The village of Mendon was platted in 1845.[6]

On April 11, 1905, city activists who supported a public library received a matching construction grant from the Carnegie Foundation. They built the Mendon Township Library, which is one of the many Carnegie Libraries still in operation to this day.

Online Welder Training

pipe welder at work in Mendon MIWelding is very much a manual type of profession, and consequently not extremely compatible with training online. Even so, there are some online welding programs offered by specific community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Mendon MI area that may count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly deal with such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to start their education and training. However, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be performed online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for experienced welders that want to advance their knowledge or possibly earn a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely cautious and make certain that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Choose the Right Welding Vocational School Mendon MI

Selecting the right welder training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training program that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every program offers different options for certification as well. Probably The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Mendon MI.

 

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