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

How to Select a Welder Trade School near Evans Georgia

Evans GA welding school studentEnrolling in the right welding school near Evans GA is an essential first step to starting your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you pick the best one? Many prospective students start by checking out the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have located those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and tuition cost are crucial concerns when examining welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s prudent 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.

Welder Certificate and Degree Programs

Evans GA welder working on pipingThere are multiple options to obtain training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief summaries of the most typical welding programs offered in the Evans GA.

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

Some states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore don’t forget to check for your location of future employment. As required, the welding school you choose should prep you for any licensing exams that you will have to take in addition to providing the suitable training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

Evans GA welder working on poleThere are various organizations that offer welder certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Evans GA employers not only require a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a highly regarded organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered dependent on the kind of work that the welder performs. Just some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

  • Operate in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with specified metal thicknesses
  • Work with various kinds of welds
  • Work in compliance with contract specifications

As formerly stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are a highly skilled and knowledgeable welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and make sure that the welder trade school you select prepares you for certification if needed.

How to Pick a Welding Vocational Program

Evans GA welder working on carAs soon as you have chosen the credential you want to obtain, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of welder trade and vocational schools in the Evans GA area. That’s why it’s essential to determine up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered 2 important ones that most people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the school you pick is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may want to evaluate before selecting a welding trade school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welding tech school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two basic types of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school has, for example Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, 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 help in getting financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Evans GA for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. Numerous welder certificate or degree programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools must have partnerships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established 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 Evans GA welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an educational program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welding program you select has a higher completion rate. A reduced rate could signify that the students who were in the program were unhappy with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only affirm that the program has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Evans GA contacts to help students secure employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have limited your selection of welding programs to two or three possibilities, you should consider visiting the campuses to look over their facilities. Make sure that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. 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 currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Evans GA welding contractor 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 cover. You should keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the welder program you select needs to be within commuting distance of your Evans GA home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, most 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 want to work.

Small Classes. Personalized instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to be overlooked in bigger classes and not receive much one-on-one instruction. Find out what the usual class size is for the welding programs you are looking at. Ask if you can sit in on some classes so that you can observe just how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, speak with some of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, talk to a few of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new profession while still employed at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Evans GA, make sure that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only enroll part-time, confirm 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 work, illness or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Evans GA?

Perhaps you live in the Evans 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.

Evans, Georgia

Evans is a census-designated place (CDP) in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is a suburb of Augusta and is part of the Augusta metropolitan area. The population was 29,011 at the 2010 census,[3] up from 17,727 at the 2000 census.

Evans, possibly named after Confederate General Clement A. Evans,[4] is the de facto county seat of Columbia County, although Appling still holds the de jure designation.[4] The Columbia County Government Center, the Government Complex Addition, and the Columbia County Courthouse Annex are all located in Evans.[4]

Evans is located in eastern Columbia County, bordered to the northeast by the Savannah River, which forms the South Carolina state line. To the southeast is the town of Martinez. Downtown Augusta is 11 miles (18 km) to the southeast.

Online Welding Training

pipe welder at work in Evans GAWelding is very much a hands-on type of profession, and therefore not very suitable for online training. Even so, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by various community colleges and trade schools in the greater Evans GA area that may be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily cover such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to start their education and training. However, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be accomplished online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate 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 very careful and make sure that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Choose the Ideal Welding Trade School Evans GA

Choosing the best welding training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training program that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses 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 satisfy your needs. Each training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional welder in Evans GA.

 

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