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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Clarksville AR

How to Choose a Welding Technical School near Clarksville Arkansas

Clarksville AR welding school studentEnrolling in the ideal welder school near Clarksville AR is an important first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you pick the right one? Most prospective students begin by checking out the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary issues when reviewing welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s sensible to develop a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Degree and Certificate Training Classes

Clarksville AR welder working on pipingThere are multiple options to obtain training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can earn a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief summaries of the most typical welding programs offered in the Clarksville AR.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are normally offered by technical and trade schools and take about 1 year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned primarily to teach welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional skills for working welders.
  • Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Many municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so be sure to find out for your location of potential employment. As required, the welding school you pick should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will need to take in addition to providing the proper training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Choices

Clarksville AR welder working on poleThere are a number of institutions that offer welding certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Clarksville AR employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available dependent on the kind of work that the welder performs. Some of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

  • Operate in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with specific metal thicknesses
  • Work with specific kinds of welds
  • Work based on contract specifications

As previously stated, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, some additionally require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and qualified welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and confirm that the welding technical school you select preps you for certification as needed.

How to Pick a Welder Trade School

Clarksville AR welder working on carWhen you have chosen the credential you would like to attain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you probably know, there are a large number of welding vocational and trade schools in the Clarksville AR area. That’s why it’s essential to decide up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already covered a couple of significant ones that many people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the school you decide on is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are some additional factors you might want to consider before picking a welding tech school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding vocational school you decide on is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are 2 standard 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, such as Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping ensure that you get a quality education, the accreditation can also help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable in Clarksville AR for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. A large number of welder degree or diploma programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools must have partnerships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop associations within the Clarksville AR welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an educational program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welder program you choose has a high completion rate. A lower rate could signify that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also an indication of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the program has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Clarksville AR employer relationships to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. After you have decreased your choice of welder schools to two or three options, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Make sure that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be using on the job. If you are unsure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Clarksville AR welding contractor if they can give you some pointers.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly discussed the significance of location, there are a few additional points that we should deal with. You should remember that unless you are able to move, the welding program you pick needs to be within commuting distance of your Clarksville AR home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, apart from relocation costs there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you subsequently will wish to work.

Small Classes. Individualized training is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in larger classes and not get much personalized training. Find out what the average class size is for the welder schools you are reviewing. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can see how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with some of the students and get their evaluations. Also, talk with a couple of the teachers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new profession while still employed at their current job. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Clarksville AR, verify that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Clarksville AR?

Perhaps you live in the Clarksville Arkansas 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.

Clarksville, Arkansas

Clarksville is a city in Johnson County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 9,178,[3] up from 7,719 in 2000. As of 2016, the estimated population was 9,524.[4] The city is the county seat of Johnson County.[5] It is nestled between the Arkansas River and the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, and Interstate 40 and US Highway 64 intersect within the city limits. Clarksville-Johnson County is widely known for its peaches, scenic byways and abundance of natural outdoor recreational activities.

Clarksville is located in south-central Johnson County at 35°27′50″N 93°28′38″W / 35.46389°N 93.47722°W / 35.46389; -93.47722 (35.464006, -93.477089).[6] The city is bordered to the south by the Arkansas River, although the city center is 3 miles (5 km) north of the river and west of Spadra Creek.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Clarksville has a total area of 19.2 square miles (49.7 km2), of which 18.5 square miles (47.9 km2) are land and 0.69 square miles (1.8 km2), or 3.66%, are water.[3]

Online Welder Schools

pipe welder at work in Clarksville ARWelding is very much a manual type of vocation, and consequently not extremely suitable for online training. Even so, there are a few online welding classes offered by various community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Clarksville AR area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes mainly deal with such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to begin their training and education. However, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be accomplished online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that want to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be very careful and verify that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Select the Best Welding Trade School Clarksville AR

Picking the right welding training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare among the programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional welder in Clarksville AR.

 

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