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

How to Choose a Welder Certification Class near Dalton Georgia

Dalton GA welding school studentLocating the ideal welding vocational school near Dalton GA is an essential first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you select the best one? A number of prospective students start by reviewing the schools that are closest to their homes. Once they have located those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are important issues when examining welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a trade 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 talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Certificate and Degree Training Programs

Dalton GA welder working on pipingThere are several options to receive training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can earn 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 made available combined with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief descriptions of the most prevalent welding programs offered in the Dalton GA.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed primarily to teach welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized 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 furnishes a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

A number of states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to check for your location of future employment. If required, the welder school you pick should ready you for any licensing exams that you will have to pass in addition to supplying the suitable training to become a professional welder.

Welding Certification Options

Dalton GA welder working on poleThere are multiple institutions that provide welding certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Dalton GA 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). A wide range of certifications are available based on the type of work that the welder does. Just some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

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

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

How to Select a Welding Technical Program

Dalton GA welder working on carAs soon as you have chosen the credential you want to attain, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to assess schools. As you probably know, there are a large number of welding vocational and trade schools in the Dalton GA area. That’s why it’s essential to decide up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have already discussed 2 important ones that most people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be looked at. After all, the program you select is going to provide the education that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are more factors you may want to evaluate before choosing a welding technical school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder vocational school you decide on is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are 2 basic types of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school has, for instance Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, 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 make sure that you get an excellent education, the accreditation can also help in getting financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered in Dalton GA for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous welding certificate or degree programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Find out if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools must have partnerships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for placements. These programs can help students find employment and establish relationships within the Dalton GA welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an academic program and finish it. It’s essential that the welding program you choose has a high completion rate. A lower rate could signify that the students who joined 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 affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of Dalton GA contacts to assist students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Facilities and Equipment. Once you have limited your choice of welding schools to two or three possibilities, you should consider going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be taught on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be using in the field. If you are not sure what to look for, and are currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Dalton GA welding professional if they can give you a few tips.

School Location. Although we previously briefly discussed the importance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we should cover. You should bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the welding school you select needs to be within driving distance of your Dalton GA home. If you do choose to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides moving expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welding certificate 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 regional community. So the location of the school needs to be in a region or state where you subsequently will wish to work.

Smaller Classes. Individualized instruction is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to get lost in larger classes and not get much personalized training. Ask what the average class size is for the welder programs you are looking at. Ask if you can sit in on some classes so that you can experience how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, speak with a few of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Flexible Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new profession while still working at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Dalton GA, make certain that the schools you are reviewing provide those alternatives. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any due to illness, work or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Dalton GA?

Perhaps you live in the Dalton 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.

Dalton, Georgia

Dalton is a city in Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is the county seat of Whitfield County[4] and the principal city of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Murray and Whitfield counties.

Dalton is home to many of the nation's floor-covering manufacturers, primarily those producing carpet, rugs and vinyl flooring. Like most towns that predate the Civil War, Dalton and the surrounding area saw skirmishes during the conflict. It is home to the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center, which showcases the Georgia Athletic Coaches' Hall of Fame and hosts a variety of events.

Dalton is located at (34.771088, -84.971553).[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.8 square miles (51 km2), of which 19.8 square miles (51 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (0.10%) is water.

Online Welding Degree and Certificate Programs

pipe welder at work in Dalton GAWelding is truly a manual type of profession, and consequently not extremely suitable for training online. Even so, there are some online welding courses offered by various community colleges and technical schools in the greater Dalton GA area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily deal with such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a foundation to start their training and education. However, the most significant 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 setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that want to advance their knowledge or possibly earn a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be very cautious and confirm that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Find the Best Welding Tech School Dalton GA

Choosing the right welding training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare among the programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any welder training program that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every program provides different options for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Dalton GA.

 

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