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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Lihue HI

How to Find the Right Welder Training Class near Lihue Hawaii

Lihue HI welding school studentSelecting the ideal welder vocational school near Lihue HI is an important first step to starting your new career 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 importantly, once you have narrowed down your alternatives, how do you select the right one? Most people start by looking at the schools that are closest to their homes. Once they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are important issues when examining welder technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s wise 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.

Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

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

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally offered by trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, designed primarily 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 two 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 providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

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

Welding Certification Alternatives

Lihue HI welder working on poleThere are a number of institutions that provide welder certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Lihue HI employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered based on the type of work that the welder does. Just some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As already mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, a number also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an extremely skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and make certain that the welder tech school you decide on prepares you for certification as needed.

How to Pick a Welding Technical School

Lihue HI welder working on carAs soon as you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to assess schools. As you can imagine, there are a large number of welder trade and technical schools in the Lihue HI area. That’s why it’s essential to decide up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously covered a couple of important ones that many people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that need to be looked at. After all, the program you decide on is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may need to evaluate before choosing a welding trade school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welding tech school you pick is accredited by either a regional or a national 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 a single program the school has, for example Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you select is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, 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 assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable in Lihue HI 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.

Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welding diploma or degree programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools must have relationships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can utilize for referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop associations within the Lihue HI welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an academic program and complete it. It’s important that the welder program you pick has a higher completion rate. A low rate may indicate 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 confirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Lihue HI contacts to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. After you have decreased your selection of welder programs to two or three options, you should consider going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Make sure that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with on the job. If you are not sure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Lihue HI welding contractor if they can give you a few tips.

School Location. Although we already briefly talked about the significance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to address. You should bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the welding program you choose must be within commuting distance of your Lihue HI home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welding diploma 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 an area or state where you ultimately will wish to work.

Small Classes. One-on-one instruction is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to get overlooked in bigger classes and not obtain much individualized training. Ask what the typical class size is for the welding schools you are considering. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can see just how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with some of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, chat with a few of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Convenient Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new profession while still employed at their current job. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Lihue HI, make sure that the schools you are looking at provide those alternatives. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any due to illness, work or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Lihue HI?

Perhaps you live in the Lihue Hawaii 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.

Lihue, Hawaii

Lihue or Līhuʻe is an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP) and the county seat of Kauai County, Hawaii. Lihue (pronounced [liːˈhuʔe]) is the second largest town on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi after Kapaʻa. As of the 2010 Census, the CDP had a total population of 6,455.[1]

In ancient times, Lihue was a minor village. Līhuʻe means "cold chill" in the Hawaiian language.[2][3] Lihue is located in the ancient district of Puna, the southeastern coast of the island, and land division (ahupuaʻa) of Kalapaki.[4]Royal Governor Kaikioʻewa officially made it his governing seat in 1837, moving it from Waimea;[5] he gave the town its name after the land he owned on Oahu by the same name.

With the emergence of the sugar industry in the 1800s, Lihue became the central city of the island with the construction of a large sugar mill. Early investors were Henry A. Peirce, Charles Reed Bishop and William Little Lee. The plantation struggled until William Harrison Rice built the first irrigation system in 1856.[6]

Online Welder Classes

pipe welder at work in Lihue HIWelding is very much a hands-on type of profession, and for that reason not very suitable for training online. Even so, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Lihue HI area that may be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These courses primarily cover such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to initiate their training and education. Nevertheless, the most important 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 experienced welders that would like to advance their knowledge or possibly earn a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding certificate or degree program, be very careful and make certain that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Find the Right Welding Technical School Lihue HI

Selecting the ideal welder training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Every training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Lihue HI.

 

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