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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Martin MI

How to Select a Welding Trade School near Martin Michigan

Martin MI welding school studentEnrolling in the ideal welder school near Martin MI is an essential first step to beginning 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 notably, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you pick the best one? A number of prospective students begin by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have found those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition 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 beginning your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s prudent to develop a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Degree and Certificate Training Programs

Martin MI welder working on pipingThere are multiple options to receive training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can receive 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 brief explanations of the most common welding programs available in the Martin MI.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually made available by trade and technical schools and require about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned mainly to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized skills for experienced welders.
  • Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

A number of municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so be sure to find out for your location of future employment. As needed, the welding school you pick should prep you for any licensing exams that you will need to pass in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Options

Martin MI welder working on poleThere are several institutions that offer welder certifications, which assess the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Martin MI employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are available based on the kind of work that the welder does. 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
  • Perform according to contract specifications

As already stated, many cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many also require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and qualified welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and verify that the welding vocational school you decide on readies you for certification if needed.

How to Pick a Welding Trade School

Martin MI welder working on carOnce you have chosen the credential you want to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you probably know, there are numerous welding trade and vocational schools in the Martin MI area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously covered 2 significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that should be considered. After all, the school you decide on is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are some additional factors you might want to consider before choosing a welding technical school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welding trade school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are 2 basic kinds of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school offers, for instance Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you receive a superior education, the accreditation might also assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available in Martin MI 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 welding degree or diploma programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are considering assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools should have associations with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can help students find employment and establish associations within the Martin MI welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an academic program and finish it. It’s essential that the welding program you pick has a high completion rate. A reduced rate might mean that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Martin MI employer relationships to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have narrowed down your choice of welder programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should consider going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be taught on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be using in the field. 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 Martin MI welding contractor if they can give you some tips.

School Location. Although we already briefly discussed the relevance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to deal with. You should bear in mind that unless you can move, the welder program you pick must be within commuting distance of your Martin MI home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, most likely their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you subsequently will wish to work.

Smaller Classes. One-on-one training is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to be overlooked in larger classes and not obtain much personalized instruction. Ask what the average class size is for the welder programs you are reviewing. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can witness how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, speak with several of the students and get their evaluations. Also, talk with a couple of the instructors and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Flexible Class Schedules. Some people learn a new profession while still employed at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Martin MI, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only enroll part-time, verify that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Martin MI?

Perhaps you live in the Martin Michigan 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.

Martin, Michigan

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 410 people, 162 households, and 109 families residing in the village. The population density was 525.6 inhabitants per square mile (202.9/km2). There were 176 housing units at an average density of 225.6 per square mile (87.1/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 92.9% White, 1.0% African American, 2.9% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.9% of the population.

There were 162 households of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.7% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.06.

The median age in the village was 37.8 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 11% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 26.9% were from 45 to 64; and 13.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 50.7% male and 49.3% female.

Online Welder Training

pipe welder at work in Martin MIWelding is very much a manual kind of trade, and therefore not very suitable for training online. Even so, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by specific community colleges and trade schools in the greater Martin MI area that may be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily deal with such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to start their education and training. However, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be done online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that would like to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely careful and make sure that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Pick the Right Welding Vocational Program Martin MI

Choosing the right welding school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any welding training program that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides unique options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Martin MI.

 

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