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

How to Enroll In a Welder Certification Program near Schoolcraft Michigan

Schoolcraft MI welding school studentLocating the ideal welder technical school near Schoolcraft MI is an essential first step to launching your new career 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 alternatives, how do you select the best one? A number of people begin by checking out the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have located those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial issues when examining welding trade 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 trade school to become a welder, it’s sensible to establish 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 Certificate and Degree Programs

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

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually made available by trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed mainly 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 offers a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still furnishing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Some states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, so be sure to check for your location of potential employment. If needed, the welder school you pick should ready you for any licensing exams that you will need to pass in addition to supplying the appropriate training to become a professional welder.

Welding Certification Options

Schoolcraft MI welder working on poleThere are several institutions that provide welder certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Schoolcraft MI employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a highly regarded organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available dependent on the type 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 specific metal thicknesses
  • Work with specific kinds of welds
  • Work in compliance with contract specifications

As earlier mentioned, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and make certain that the welding technical school you choose readies you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welding Tech Program

Schoolcraft MI welder working on carWhen you have decided on the credential you would like to earn, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to assess schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous welder vocational and trade schools in the Schoolcraft MI area. That’s why it’s necessary to decide in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered a couple of important ones that most people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the program you choose is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are more factors you might want to evaluate before picking a welder tech school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding trade school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two standard kinds of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school offers, for instance Welding Technology. So verify 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 organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping ensure that you get a superior education, the accreditation can also help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Schoolcraft MI for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. A large number of welding degree or certificate programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools must have relationships 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 rely upon for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish associations within the Schoolcraft MI welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an educational program and finish it. It’s crucial that the welder program you choose has a high completion rate. A low rate could signify that the students who were in the program were unhappy with the training, the teachers, 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 affirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Schoolcraft MI contacts to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have narrowed down your selection of welding programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are modern. In particular, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be using on the job. If you are not sure what to look for, and are currently in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Schoolcraft MI welding professional if they can give you some tips.

School Location. Even though we already briefly talked about the importance of location, there are a few additional points that we need to deal with. You should remember that unless you can relocate, the welder program you select must be within driving distance of your Schoolcraft MI home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides relocation costs there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welding certificate programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, often their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school needs to be in an area or state where you subsequently will desire to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized instruction is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to get overlooked in larger classes and not get much individualized training. Ask what the average class size is for the welder schools you are reviewing. Inquire if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can see just how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Flexible Class Schedules. Many people learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Schoolcraft MI, confirm that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Schoolcraft MI?

Perhaps you live in the Schoolcraft 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.

Schoolcraft, Michigan

Schoolcraft is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The village is located in Schoolcraft Township approximately 13 miles (21 km) south of Kalamazoo on U.S. Route 131. The population was 1,525 at the 2010 census. The village is named in honor of geographer, geologist, and ethnologist Henry Schoolcraft.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.98 square miles (2.54 km2), all land.[1] Schoolcraft is located on a prairie, and much of the land outside of the village is used as farm land, with the primary crops being corn and soybeans.

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,525 people, 616 households, and 405 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,556.1 inhabitants per square mile (600.8/km2). There were 661 housing units at an average density of 674.5 per square mile (260.4/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 95.6% White, 1.0% African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population.

Online Welder Certificate and Degree Programs

pipe welder at work in Schoolcraft MIWelding is very much a manual type of profession, and therefore not extremely compatible with training online. Having said that, there are a few online welding classes offered by various community colleges and technical schools in the greater Schoolcraft MI area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses mainly cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a basis to start their training and education. Nevertheless, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be done online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that would like to advance their expertise or possibly attain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be very cautious and make certain that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Find the Ideal Welding Vocational School Schoolcraft MI

Choosing the ideal welding school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the programs you are considering. It’s a must that any welding training that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification also. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Schoolcraft MI.

 

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