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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Cochran GA

How to Find the Right Welding Trade School near Cochran Georgia

Cochran GA welding school studentFinding the right welding vocational school near Cochran GA is an essential first step to beginning 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 significantly, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you pick the right one? Many people begin by looking at the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have located those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are important considerations when reviewing welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s prudent to create a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Certificate and Degree Training

Cochran GA welder working on pipingThere are a number of alternatives available to get training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can obtain a diploma, a certificate 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 in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief explanations of the most common welding programs available in the Cochran GA.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally made available by trade and technical schools and require about 1 year to complete. 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 additional skills for experienced 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 diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Some states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, so don’t forget to find out for your location of future employment. As required, the welding school you pick should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to supplying the suitable training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

Cochran GA welder working on poleThere are several institutions that provide welder certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Cochran GA employers not only require a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based on the kind of work that the welder does. Some of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

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

As formerly mentioned, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number also require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and qualified welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and make sure that the welding trade school you choose readies you for certification as needed.

How to Pick a Welder Technical School

Cochran GA welder working on carAs soon as you have chosen the credential you would like to earn, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to compare schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous welding trade and technical schools in the Cochran GA area. That’s why it’s necessary to determine in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered two important ones that most 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 looked at. After all, the program you select 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 may want to evaluate before selecting a welder tech school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder vocational school you choose is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are 2 standard types 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 verify that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you get an excellent education, the accreditation may also help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not offered in Cochran GA for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. A large number of welding degree or certificate programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools should have partnerships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop associations within the Cochran GA welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an instructional program and complete it. It’s essential that the welding school you choose has a high completion rate. A reduced rate might signify that the students who were in the program were unhappy with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the program has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Cochran GA employer relationships to assist students obtain apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your selection of welder programs to 2 or 3 options, you should think out visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Confirm that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be taught on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with in the field. If you are uncertain what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Cochran GA welding contractor if they can give you some pointers.

School Location. Although we already briefly covered the importance of location, there are a few additional points that we should address. You should bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the welding school you choose must be within driving distance of your Cochran GA home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welder diploma programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school needs to be in an area or state where you subsequently will want to work.

Smaller Classes. One-on-one training is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in larger classes and not obtain much individualized training. Find out what the typical class size is for the welder schools you are looking at. Ask 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 some of the students and get their evaluations. Also, talk with a few of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Convenient Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new profession while still employed at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Cochran GA, make sure that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only enroll part-time, verify that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Cochran GA?

Perhaps you live in the Cochran Georgia 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.

Cochran, Georgia

Cochran is named for Judge Arthur E. Cochran and was incorporated on March 19, 1869. Judge Cochran was largely instrumental in developing this section of Georgia through his work as president of the Macon and Brunswick Railroad, now the Southern Railway. Once known as Dykesboro, Cochran was settled by B. B. Dykes, who owned the site on which the town is built. The earliest settlers located here to work in the turpentine industry.

Cochran is home to Bleckley County High School and Middle Georgia State University. Three properties in Cochran are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the Bleckley County Courthouse in Courthouse Square, the Cochran Municipal Building and School at the junction of Dykes and Second streets, and Hillcrest at 706 Beech Street.

Cochran, originally known as Dykesboro, was settled in the 1850s by B. B. Dykes. It was renamed Cochran in 1869 after Arthur Cochran, a railroad official who brought the Macon and Brunswick Railroad to town. In 1912, Cochran was designated seat of the newly formed Bleckley County.[6]

Online Welding Training

pipe welder at work in Cochran GAWelding is very much a hands-on type of vocation, and therefore not extremely compatible with online training. Even so, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Cochran GA area that can be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly cover such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to start their education and training. Nevertheless, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials until you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be performed online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for experienced welders that want to advance their expertise or perhaps obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and make certain that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Select the Best Welding Technical School Cochran GA

Picking the right welder school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any welding training program that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Cochran GA.

 

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