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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Albert Lea MN

How to Select a Welder Certification Program near Albert Lea Minnesota

Albert Lea MN welding school studentLocating the right welding school near Albert Lea MN is an important first step to starting your new occupation 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 narrowed down your options, how do you select the right one? Many people start by checking out the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial issues when evaluating welder technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as accreditation, reputation 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 selected school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Certificate and Degree Training Classes

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

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by trade and technical schools and require about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, created primarily 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 two years to complete and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides 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 requirements for welders, therefore make sure to check for your location of future employment. If needed, the welder school you choose should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to providing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

Albert Lea MN welder working on poleThere are multiple organizations that offer welder certifications, which assess the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Albert Lea MN employers not only expect a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are offered based on the type of work that the welder does. A few of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

  • Work in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with specified metal thicknesses
  • Work with certain types of welds
  • Operate according to contract specifications

As already stated, some states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, many also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and confirm that the welder technical school you select readies you for certification if needed.

How to Pick a Welding Vocational School

Albert Lea MN welder working on carWhen you have decided on the credential you want to obtain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to evaluate schools. As you probably know, there are a large number of welder trade and vocational schools in the Albert Lea MN area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously discussed 2 significant ones that many people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that should be looked at. After all, the program you pick is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are more factors you may want to consider before choosing a welding tech school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder vocational school you pick is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 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 instance Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you receive a superior education, the accreditation may also assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Albert Lea MN for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welder certificate or degree programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are looking at help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools should have partnerships with local unions and other 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 assist students in finding employment and establish relationships within the Albert Lea MN welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an educational program and finish it. It’s crucial that the welder school you pick has a higher completion rate. A lower rate might indicate that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only confirm that the program has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Albert Lea MN contacts to assist students obtain apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have decreased your selection of welder programs to two or three possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to inspect their facilities. Make sure 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 using on the job. If you are unsure 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 Albert Lea MN welding contractor if they can give you some tips.

School Location. Although we already briefly discussed the significance of location, there are a few additional points that we need to cover. You should bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the welding school you pick needs to be within driving distance of your Albert Lea MN home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welder 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 regional community. So the location of the school should be in an area or state where you subsequently will wish to work.

Smaller Classes. Individualized training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in larger classes and not receive much individualized instruction. Ask what the typical class size is for the welding schools you are considering. Ask if you can attend a few classes so that you can see how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, speak with some of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Convenient Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new profession while still working at their current job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Albert Lea MN, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Albert Lea MN?

Perhaps you live in the Albert Lea Minnesota 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.

Albert Lea, Minnesota

The city is at the junction of Interstates 35 and 90, about 90 miles (140 km) south of the Twin Cities. It is on the shores of Fountain Lake, Pickerel Lake, Albert Lea Lake, Goose Lake, School Lake, and Lake Chapeau. Fountain Lake and Albert Lea Lake are part of the Shell Rock River flowage.

The city's early growth was based on agriculture, farming support services and manufacturing, and it was a significant rail center. At one time it was the site of Cargill's headquarters. Other manufacturing included Edwards Manufacturing (barn equipment), Scotsman Ice Machines, Streater Store fixtures, and Universal Milking Machines. As in many U.S. towns, Albert Lea's manufacturing base has substantially diminished. A longtime center of the city's job opportunity was the Wilson & Company meatpacking plant, later known as Farmstead and Farmland. This facility was destroyed by fire in July 2001. Albert Lea's largest employer is now Mayo Clinic Health System, with over 1,500 employees.

The city is named after Albert Miller Lea, a topographer with the United States Dragoons, who surveyed southern Minnesota and northern Iowa in 1835, including the current site of Albert Lea.[7] Captain Nathan Boone, a son of Daniel Boone, was the scout for Lea's unit.

Online Welder Schools

pipe welder at work in Albert Lea MNWelding is truly a hands-on type of trade, and consequently not extremely suitable for online training. Having said that, there are some online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Albert Lea MN area that can count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses primarily cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to begin their training and education. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly 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 experienced welders that want 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 careful and verify that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Pick the Right Welding Technical School Albert Lea MN

Picking the right welder training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any welding training that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Albert Lea MN.

 

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