Tag Archives: Welding Trade Schools Near Me Aiea HI 96701

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

How to Select a Welder Technical School near Aiea Hawaii

Aiea HI welding school studentFinding the right welder trade school near Aiea HI is an important first step to starting your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you select the best one? Most people begin by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their residences. When they have located those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are important issues when examining welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns 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 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 Degree and Certificate Training

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

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by trade and technical schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed mainly 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 extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Some municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so make sure to find out for your location of potential employment. As needed, the welder school you choose should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will have to take in addition to supplying the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Options

Aiea HI welder working on poleThere are multiple organizations that provide welding certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Aiea HI employers not only expect a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available based upon the kind of work that the welder does. Just some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

  • Operate in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with certain metal thicknesses
  • Work with various kinds of welds
  • Perform according to contract specifications

As formerly mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number also require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and verify that the welding technical school you select readies you for certification if needed.

How to Decide on a Welding Vocational School

Aiea HI welder working on carAs soon as you have decided on the credential you would like to earn, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to assess schools. As you can imagine, there are a large number of welding trade and vocational schools in the Aiea HI area. That’s why it’s necessary to decide in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already covered 2 important ones that many people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the school you choose is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are some additional factors you may need to consider before selecting a welding trade school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welder trade school you pick is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are 2 standard types of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, 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). Besides helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, the accreditation may also help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Aiea 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 Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous welding diploma or degree programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These 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 utilize for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and develop associations within the Aiea HI welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an instructional program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welding school you pick has a high completion rate. A reduced rate might mean that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the program has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Aiea HI contacts to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your choice of welding schools to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Make sure that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be taught on are modern. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be using on the job. If you are uncertain what to look for, and are currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Aiea HI welding professional if they can give you some tips.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly talked about the importance of location, there are a few additional points that we should deal with. You should keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the welder school you select must be within driving distance of your Aiea HI home. If you do choose to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from relocation costs there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welder diploma 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 local community. So the location of the school needs to be in an area or state where you subsequently will desire to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized training is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in bigger classes and not receive much individualized instruction. Find out what the typical class size is for the welder programs you are looking at. Inquire if you can attend some classes so that you can experience how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with several of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, speak with a few of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Many people learn a new trade while still working at their present job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Aiea HI, confirm that the schools you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only enroll part-time, verify that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Aiea HI?

Perhaps you live in the Aiea 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.

Aiea, Hawaii

Aiea is located at 21°23′9″N 157°55′51″W / 21.38583°N 157.93083°W / 21.38583; -157.93083 (21.385900, −157.930927).[2] According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), of which, 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (5.71%) is water.[2]

Kamehameha Highway (Hawaii Route 99) divides most of Aiea from the shore of Pearl Harbor (mostly US government property), and the parallel major thoroughfare, Interstate H-1, further cuts the town's commercial district into two distinct areas. These east-west routes (and other streets, such as Moanalua Road) connect Aiea to Pearl City, immediately adjacent on the west, and Halawa, adjacent on the east. The residential area known as Aiea Heights extends up the ridgeline above the town. The communities of Newtown Estates and Royal Summit are located at the western edge of Aiea near its border with Pearl City at Kaahumanu Street. Residents of the census-designated places (CDP) of Waimalu and Hālawa use Aiea in their postal address.

"ʻAiea" was originally the name of an ahupuaʻa, or Hawaiian land division. The name was derived from a species of plant in the nightshade family, Nothocestrum latifolium.[5] It stretched from ʻAiea Bay (part of Pearl Harbor) into the mountains to the north. At the end of the 19th century, a sugarcane plantation was opened in the district by the Honolulu Plantation Company.

Online Welding Classes

pipe welder at work in Aiea HIWelding is truly a hands-on type of profession, and therefore not extremely suitable for online training. Having said that, there are a few online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Aiea HI area that can be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These courses primarily cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a basis to start their education and training. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be accomplished online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for experienced welders that would like to advance their expertise or possibly obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely cautious and make sure that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Find the Right Welding Vocational Program Aiea HI

Choosing the ideal welder training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any welding training program that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides unique options for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional welder in Aiea HI.

 

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