How to Find the Right Welding Degree Program near Roswell Georgia

Enrolling in the ideal welder technical school near Roswell GA is an important first step to beginning your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to pick from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you select the best one? Most prospective students begin by looking at the schools that are nearest to their homes. When they have identified those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary considerations when evaluating welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before beginning your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s wise to create a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Degree and Certificate Training Courses

There are several alternatives available to get training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can obtain 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 offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief descriptions of the most typical welding programs available in the Roswell GA.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by technical and trade schools and take about 1 year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, created largely to teach welding skills. They can furnish 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 most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still furnishing the foundation that readies 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. If required, the welding school you pick should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will need to pass in addition to supplying the proper training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Options

There are several organizations that offer welder certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Roswell GA employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a highly regarded agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available based on the type of work that the welder does. Just 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 kinds of welds
• Work according to contract specifications

As already mentioned, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, many also require certification for different 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, look into the requirements for your local area and make certain that the welder technical school you select preps you for certification as needed.

How to Select a Welding Vocational Program

Once you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to compare schools. As you probably know, there are many welding trade and vocational schools in the Roswell GA area. That’s why it’s important to decide up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already discussed a couple of important ones that most people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the program you choose is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are some additional factors you might need to consider before selecting a welder tech school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding vocational school you decide on is accredited by either a regional or a national 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 an individual program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you select is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, 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). In addition to helping make sure that you get a quality education, the accreditation can also assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Roswell GA for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous welder degree or diploma programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools should have partnerships 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 utilize for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop relationships within the Roswell GA welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an instructional program and complete it. It’s important that the welding program you select has a higher completion rate. A low rate might indicate that the students who were in the program were unhappy with the instruction, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the quality of training. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Roswell GA employer relationships to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Facilities and Equipment. Once you have limited your choice of welder schools to two or three options, you should consider going to the campuses to inspect their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be taught on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with on the job. If you are uncertain what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Roswell GA welding contractor if they can give you a few tips.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly talked about the importance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should address. You should remember that unless you are able to relocate, the welder school you pick must be within commuting distance of your Roswell GA home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, apart from relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, more than 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 ultimately will wish to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized instruction is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in larger classes and not get much one-on-one instruction. Find out what the typical class size is for the welder programs you are looking at. Ask if you can attend some classes so that you can witness just how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, chat with some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Convenient Class Scheduling. Some people 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 Roswell GA, make sure that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the school you decide on 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 Roswell GA?

Perhaps you live in the Roswell 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.

Online Welder Degree and Certificate Programs

Welding is truly a manual kind of vocation, and for that reason not extremely compatible with training online. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by various community colleges and trade schools in the greater Roswell GA area that can count toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily deal with such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a foundation to start their training and education. Nevertheless, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until 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 seasoned welders that want to advance their expertise or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be very cautious and confirm that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Choose the Ideal Welding Tech Program Roswell GA

Choosing the best welder school will probably be the most critical 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 evaluate and compare between the programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training program that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each program provides different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Roswell GA.