Tag Archives: Welding Tech Schools Near Me Prescott AZ 86301

Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Prescott AZ

How to Enroll In a Welding Certificate Program near Prescott Arizona

Prescott AZ welding school studentEnrolling in the ideal welder school near Prescott AZ is an essential first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to select from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you pick the best one? Most people start by reviewing the schools that are closest to their residences. When they have found those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are important considerations when reviewing welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s sensible to establish 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.

Welding Certificate and Degree Training

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

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually made available by trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned mainly to develop welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized 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 providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Many states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore be sure to find out for your location of potential employment. If required, the welder school you select should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will have to pass in addition to furnishing the proper training to become a professional welder.

Welding Certification Options

Prescott AZ welder working on poleThere are multiple institutions that provide welder certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. A large number of Prescott AZ employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered based upon the kind of work that the welder performs. 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 various kinds of welds
  • Operate based on contract specifications

As already stated, many cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many additionally require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and make sure that the welding trade school you choose preps you for certification as needed.

How to Select a Welder Trade School

Prescott AZ welder working on carAfter you have chosen the credential you want to earn, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to evaluate schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are many welding trade and vocational schools in the Prescott AZ area. That’s why it’s essential to decide in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already discussed a couple of significant ones that many people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, 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 provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are some additional factors you may need to evaluate before picking a welding technical school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding trade school you decide on is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. 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 specific program the school has, for instance Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you receive a superior education, the accreditation can also help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered in Prescott AZ for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Many welder diploma or degree programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools must have relationships 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 help students find employment and develop associations within the Prescott AZ welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an academic program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welder school you choose has a high completion rate. A reduced rate may indicate that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the instructors, 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 confirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Prescott AZ employer relationships to assist students secure employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your choice of welding programs to two or three possibilities, you should think out visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Make sure that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are modern. In particular, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be using on the job. 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 Prescott AZ welding professional if they can give you a few tips.

School Location. Although we already briefly talked about the relevance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should address. You should bear in mind that unless you have the ability to move, the welding school you select needs to be within commuting distance of your Prescott AZ home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from moving costs there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, 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. Personalized instruction is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in bigger classes and not get much one-on-one instruction. Find out what the average class size is for the welder programs you are looking at. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can see how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, talk with some of the students and get their feedback. Also, speak with a few of the instructors and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.

Convenient Class Schedules. Many people learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Prescott AZ, make sure that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Prescott AZ?

Perhaps you live in the Prescott Arizona 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.

Prescott, Arizona

Prescott (/ˈprɛskət/ PRESS-kət;[5][6][7]Yavapai: ʼWi:kwatha Ksikʼita) is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 39,843. The city is the county seat of Yavapai County.[8] In 1864 Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona Territory, replacing the temporary capital at Fort Whipple.[9] The Territorial Capital was moved to Tucson in 1867. Prescott again became the Territorial Capital in 1877, until Phoenix became the capital in 1889.

The towns of Prescott Valley, 7 miles (11 km) east; Chino Valley, 16 miles (26 km) north; Dewey-Humboldt, 13 miles (21 km) east, and Prescott, together comprise what is locally known as the "Quad-City" area.[10] This also sometimes refers to central Yavapai County in general, which would include the towns of: Mayer, Paulden, Wilhoit, and Williamson Valley. Combined with these smaller communities the area had a population of 103,260 as of 2007[update]. Prescott is the center of the Prescott Metropolitan Area, defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as all of Yavapai County.

Arizona Territorial Governor John Noble Goodwin selected the original site of Prescott following his first tour of the new territory. Goodwin replaced Governor John A. Gurley, appointed by Abraham Lincoln, who died before taking office. Downtown streets in Prescott are named in honor of each of them. Goodwin selected a site 20 miles (32 km) south of the temporary capital on the east side of Granite Creek near a number of mining camps. The territorial capital was later moved to the new site along with Fort Whipple, with the new town named in honor of historian William H. Prescott during a public meeting on May 30, 1864.[9] Robert W. Groom surveyed the new community, and an initial auction sold 73 lots on June 4, 1864. By July 4, 1864, a total of 232 lots had been sold within the new community.[12] Prescott was officially incorporated in 1881.[1]

Online Welding Classes

pipe welder at work in Prescott AZWelding is truly a hands-on kind of vocation, and for that reason not very suitable for training online. However, there are some online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Prescott AZ area that can count toward a degree or certificate program. These classes mainly cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a foundation to begin their training and education. Nevertheless, the most critical 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 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 seasoned welders that want to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and make sure that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Select the Right Welding Vocational School Prescott AZ

Picking the right welding school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare among the programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any welding training program that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Prescott AZ.

 

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