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

How to Find the Right Welder Trade School near Dexter Georgia

Dexter GA welding school studentChoosing the right welding trade school near Dexter GA is an essential first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you pick the right one? Most prospective students start by looking at the schools that are nearest to their residences. When they have found those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are crucial issues when evaluating welder vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s sensible to develop a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Degree and Certificate Training Programs

Dexter GA welder working on pipingThere are several options to receive training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can earn a a certificate, a diploma 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 Dexter GA.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed largely to teach welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional skills for working 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 well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Many municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so make sure to check for your location of potential employment. If required, the welder school you select should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Alternatives

Dexter GA welder working on poleThere are various organizations that offer welder certifications, which assess the skill level and knowledge of those applying. A large number of Dexter GA employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available based upon 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 certain metal thicknesses
  • Work with specific types of welds
  • Perform in compliance with contract specifications

As previously stated, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number also require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and verify that the welder vocational school you decide on prepares you for certification if needed.

How to Choose a Welding Technical Program

Dexter GA welder working on carAfter you have decided on the credential you would like to attain, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to compare schools. As you probably know, there are numerous welder trade and technical schools in the Dexter GA area. That’s why it’s important to determine in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have previously covered a couple of important ones that many people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that should be considered. After all, the school you select is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are some additional factors you may want to evaluate before selecting a welder tech school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder tech school you choose is accredited by either a national or a regional 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 a single program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping ensure that you receive a superior education, the accreditation may also help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered in Dexter GA for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Many welder degree or diploma programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools should have relationships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can refer 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 Dexter GA welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an academic program and finish it. It’s essential that the welding school you choose has a high completion rate. A low rate may signify 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 a good indicator of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only affirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Dexter GA employer relationships to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have limited your selection of welder schools to two or three possibilities, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed on are modern. Specifically, 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 Dexter GA welding professional if they can give you a few suggestions.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly covered the significance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should cover. You should bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the welder school you select must be within driving distance of your Dexter GA home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school needs to be in a region or state where you subsequently will wish to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to be overlooked in bigger classes and not get much personalized instruction. Find out what the usual class size is for the welder programs you are considering. Inquire if you can sit in on some classes so that you can see how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with some of the students and get their evaluations. Also, chat with some of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Convenient Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new profession while still working at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Dexter GA, verify that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only enroll part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see 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 Dexter GA?

Perhaps you live in the Dexter 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.

Dexter, Georgia

The first permanent settlement at Dexter was made in 1889.[4] A post office has been in operation at Dexter since 1890.[5] The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place in 1891 as the "Town of Dexter".[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2), of which 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (2.60%) is water.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 509 people, 207 households, and 143 families residing in the town. The population density was 670.4 people per square mile (258.6/km²). There were 231 housing units at an average density of 304.2 per square mile (117.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 77.41% White and 22.59% African American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.20% of the population.

Online Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

pipe welder at work in Dexter GAWelding is truly a hands-on type of profession, and therefore not very compatible with online training. However, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Dexter GA area that may count toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to start their training and education. However, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials until you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be accomplished online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that want to advance their knowledge or possibly obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be very careful and confirm that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Choose the Ideal Welding Trade Program Dexter GA

Selecting the best welding school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare among the programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training program that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides different options for certification also. Probably The ideal 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 some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Dexter GA.

 

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