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

How to Pick a Welding Certification Program near Summerville Georgia

Summerville GA welding school studentSelecting the right welding technical school near Summerville GA is an important first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to pick from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you select the right one? Many prospective students begin by checking out the schools that are nearest to their homes. Once they have identified those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are important considerations when reviewing welding technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s wise to develop a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Degree and Certificate Training Classes

Summerville GA welder working on pipingThere are several options available to obtain training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can earn a diploma, a certificate 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. Below are short explanations of the most typical welding programs available in the Summerville GA.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by trade and technical schools and take about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned 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 two years to complete and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Some municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so be sure to find out for your location of future employment. As required, the welder school you choose should prep you for any licensing exams that you will need to pass in addition to supplying the proper training to become a professional welder.

Welding Certification Alternatives

Summerville GA welder working on poleThere are multiple organizations that offer welding certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Summerville GA employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are available based upon the kind of work that the welder does. Some of the things 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 formerly stated, various states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, many additionally require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are a highly skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and verify that the welding technical school you select prepares you for certification as needed.

How to Select a Welder Tech Program

Summerville GA welder working on carWhen you have chosen the credential you would like to obtain, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welding trade and vocational schools in the Summerville GA area. That’s why it’s necessary to determine in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already discussed a couple of important ones that many 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 must be looked at. After all, the school you select is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are some additional factors you might want to consider before choosing a welder technical school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder technical school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 standard kinds of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a single program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So make certain 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, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, the accreditation might also assist in getting financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available in Summerville GA for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous welding certificate or degree programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools should have partnerships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer 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 Summerville GA welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an educational program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welding program you pick has a high completion rate. A low rate might 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 quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the program has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Summerville GA contacts to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your selection of welder programs to 2 or 3 options, you should think out going to the campuses to evaluate 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 comparable to what you will be working with in the field. 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 Summerville GA welding contractor if they can give you a few pointers.

School Location. Even though we already briefly covered the relevance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to deal with. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welder school you select needs to be within driving distance of your Summerville GA home. If you do opt to attend 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 certificate programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, more than 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 desire to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized training is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to get lost in bigger classes and not obtain much one-on-one instruction. Find out what the typical class size is for the welding programs you are considering. Inquire if you can attend some classes so that you can observe just how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with several of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, chat with a few of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Flexible Class Schedules. Some people learn a new profession while still working at their present job. Check to see that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Summerville GA, make certain that the schools you are considering provide those alternatives. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Summerville GA?

Perhaps you live in the Summerville 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.

Summerville, Georgia

Summerville was founded in 1838 as seat of the newly formed Chattooga County. It was incorporated as a town in 1839 and as a city in 1909.[5] Summerville was named from the fact it was a popular summer resort.[6] The city thrived in the late 1880s with the construction of the Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus Railroad (later part of the Central of Georgia system).[7]

The Chattooga County Courthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was completed in 1909.[7] The Summerville Depot, completed by the Central of Georgia in 1918, is also listed on the National Register, and is home to several annual festivals.[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.3 km²), all of it land. The city lies along the Chattooga River at the western base of an elongate mountain known as Taylor Ridge. U.S. Route 27 connects Summerville with Chattanooga, Tennessee, to the north, and Rome to the southeast. Georgia State Route 114 connects the city with Lyerly to the south, and Georgia State Route 48 connects the city with Menlo near the Alabama state line to the west.

Online Welder Training

pipe welder at work in Summerville GAWelding is very much a manual kind of profession, and consequently not extremely compatible with training online. Even so, there are a few online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Summerville GA 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 give a novice a basis to initiate their education and training. Nevertheless, the most important 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 performed online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for experienced 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 extremely cautious and confirm that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Choose the Right Welding Tech School Summerville GA

Selecting the ideal welding school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare among the programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any welder school that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Summerville GA.

 

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