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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Port Huron MI

How to Enroll In a Welding Training Program near Port Huron Michigan

Port Huron MI welding school studentSelecting the right welder vocational school near Port Huron MI is an essential first step to starting 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 notably, once you have narrowed down your choices, how do you select the best one? Most people start by looking at the schools that are nearest to their homes. 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 considerations when evaluating welding vocational 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 trade school to become a welder, it’s prudent to create a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Certificate and Degree Training

Port Huron MI welder working on pipingThere are multiple alternatives available to receive 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 Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief summaries of the most common welding programs available in the Port Huron MI.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally offered by technical and trade schools and take about a 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 working welders.
  • Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to finish and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Many states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore be sure to check for your location of potential employment. As needed, the welding school you choose should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will need to take in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Choices

Port Huron MI welder working on poleThere are a number of institutions that provide welding certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Port Huron MI employers not only expect a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based on the kind of work that the welder performs. Some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As formerly mentioned, various states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, many additionally 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 make certain that the welder trade school you decide on readies you for certification if needed.

How to Decide on a Welding Trade Program

Port Huron MI welder working on carAfter you have chosen the credential you want to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to assess schools. As you can imagine, there are many welder trade and vocational schools in the Port Huron MI area. That’s why it’s essential to establish up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have previously covered two significant ones that most people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the school you choose is going to furnish the training that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are more factors you may need to evaluate before choosing a welder trade school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder technical school you pick is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. 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 offers, for instance Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school itself. 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 make sure that you get a quality education, the accreditation might also help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not offered in Port Huron MI for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Numerous welding degree or diploma programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools should have associations with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer 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 establish associations within the Port Huron MI welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an academic program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welder program you pick has a high completion rate. A reduced rate may signify that the students who were in the program were unhappy with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Port Huron MI employer relationships to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. After you have limited your selection of welding schools to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should consider going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Make sure that both the facilities and the equipment 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, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Port Huron MI welding contractor if they can give you a few pointers.

School Location. Although we already briefly discussed the importance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we should cover. You should remember that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welder program you select must be within commuting distance of your Port Huron MI home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, apart from moving costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers 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 an area or state where you subsequently will want to work.

Smaller Classes. One-on-one instruction is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in bigger classes and not obtain much personalized training. Find out what the typical class size is for the welder programs you are considering. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can witness just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with some of the students and get their evaluations. Also, speak with a couple of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Port Huron MI, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you choose 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 emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Port Huron MI?

Perhaps you live in the Port Huron Michigan 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.

Port Huron, Michigan

Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County.[6] The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous.

Located along the St. Clair River, it is connected to Point Edward, Ontario in Canada via the Blue Water Bridge. The city lies at the southern end of Lake Huron and is the easternmost point on land in Michigan. Port Huron is home to two paper mills, Mueller Brass, and many businesses related to tourism and the automotive industry. The city features a historic downtown area, boardwalk, marina, museum, lighthouse, and the McMorran Place arena and entertainment complex.

In 1814 following the War of 1812, the United States established Fort Gratiot at the base of Lake Huron. A community developed around it. The early 19th century was the first time a settlement developed with a permanent European-American population. Until 1836, an Ojibwa reservation occupied land in part of the modern area of Port Huron. They were removed by the United States to west of the Mississippi River in Wisconsin and Minnesota.[7]

Online Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

pipe welder at work in Port Huron MIWelding is truly a hands-on type of vocation, and therefore not very compatible with training online. Having said that, there are a few online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Port Huron MI area that can be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes mainly cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to initiate their education and training. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be accomplished online. These skills need to 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 earn a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and confirm that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Choose the Best Welding Trade School Port Huron MI

Picking the right welding training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare among the programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training program that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom education should offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the 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, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Port Huron MI.

 

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