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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Clovis CA

How to Enroll In a Welder Technical School near Clovis California

Clovis CA welding school studentEnrolling in the right welding school near Clovis CA is an essential first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have narrowed down your choices, how do you select the best one? A number of people begin by checking out the schools that are nearest to their homes. Once they have found those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial issues when reviewing welder vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s wise to develop a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Degree and Certificate Training Courses

Clovis CA welder working on pipingThere are a number of options available 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 courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Below are short descriptions of the most typical welding programs offered in the Clovis CA.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by technical and trade schools and take about 1 year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, created mainly to develop welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental skills for working welders.
  • Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to complete 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 states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to check for your location of potential employment. If needed, the welder school you select should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will need to take in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

Clovis CA welder working on poleThere are several organizations that provide welder certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Clovis CA employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered based on the kind of work that the welder performs. Just some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

  • Work in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with certain metal thicknesses
  • Work with specific types of welds
  • Operate according to contract specifications

As already mentioned, various states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, many also 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, check the requirements for your local area and make sure that the welder tech school you select preps you for certification as needed.

How to Choose a Welder Technical School

Clovis CA welder working on carWhen you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to evaluate schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of welding vocational and trade schools in the Clovis CA area. That’s why it’s necessary to decide in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already discussed a couple of significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the program you pick is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are some additional factors you might need to consider before choosing a welder technical school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder technical school you pick is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are two basic types of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school has, for example Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you get a superior education, the accreditation can also help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered in Clovis CA for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Many welding degree or certificate programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Find out if the schools you are looking at assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools must have partnerships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. Older schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and develop relationships within the Clovis CA welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an educational program and complete it. It’s essential that the welding school you select has a higher completion rate. A reduced rate might signify that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of Clovis CA contacts to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. After you have limited your choice of welding programs to two or three possibilities, you should think out visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities 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 already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Clovis CA welding professional if they can give you a few suggestions.

School Location. Even though we already briefly talked about the relevance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we need to deal with. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to move, the welder school you select needs to be within driving distance of your Clovis CA home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welding diploma programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement program, often their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you ultimately will want to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in bigger classes and not get much individualized training. Find out what the typical class size is for the welding programs you are looking at. Inquire if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can observe just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with several of the students and get their feedback. Also, speak with a couple of the teachers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Convenient Class Scheduling. Many people learn a new trade while still employed at their present job. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Clovis CA, make sure that the schools you are considering provide those alternatives. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Clovis CA?

Perhaps you live in the Clovis California 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.

Clovis, California

Clovis is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. The 2016 population was estimated to be 106,583.[11] Clovis is located 6.5 miles (10.5 km) northeast of downtown Fresno,[12] at an elevation of 361 feet (110 m).[13]

The city of Clovis began as a freight stop along the San Joaquin Valley Railroad. Organized on January 15, 1890, by Fresno businessmen Thomas E. Hughes, Fulton Berry, Gilbert R. Osmun, H.D. Colson, John D. Gray, and William M. Williams, in partnership with Michigan railroad speculator Marcus Pollasky, the SJVRR began construction in Fresno on July 4, 1891, and reached the farmlands of Clovis Cole and George Owen by October of that year. The railroad purchased right-of-way from both farmers, half from each – the east side from Cole and the west side from Owen – and ran tracks up the borderline between the two properties. The railroad agreed to establish a station on the west side of the tracks and to call it "Clovis". The Clovis station, after which the town was named, was positioned on the Owen side of the track.

Cole and Owen later sold land to Marcus Pollasky for development of a townsite. Fresno civil engineer Ingvart Tielman mapped the townsite on behalf of Pollasky on December 29, 1891. The original townsite featured streets named for the officers and principal investors of the railroad: (Benjamin) Woodworth, (Marcus) Pollasky, Fulton (Berry), (Thomas) Hughes, (Gerald) Osmun, and (O. D.) Baron. The townsite, named Clovis by Pollasky, was laid out on what was originally Owen's land.

Online Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

pipe welder at work in Clovis CAWelding is truly a hands-on kind of vocation, and consequently not very compatible with training online. However, there are some online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Clovis CA area that can be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes mainly cover such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a foundation to start their training and education. Nevertheless, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be accomplished online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for seasoned welders that want to advance their knowledge or possibly obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be very cautious and confirm that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Pick the Best Welding Technical School Clovis CA

Selecting the ideal welder school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any welder training that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom education should provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional welder in Clovis CA.

 

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