Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Wilmington DE

How to Choose a Welder Certificate Program near Wilmington Delaware

Wilmington DE welding school studentEnrolling in the ideal welding school near Wilmington DE is an important first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you select the right one? Most prospective students start by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their homes. When they have located those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations when reviewing welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns 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 prudent to develop a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Certificate and Degree Training Courses

Wilmington DE welder working on pipingThere are several options to get training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can receive a a certificate, a diploma 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 in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief explanations of the most typical welding programs available in the Wilmington DE.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally made available by technical and trade schools and take about 1 year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, designed 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 finish and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Some municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore make sure to check for your location of potential employment. If needed, the welding school you choose should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will need to pass in addition to furnishing the proper training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Choices

Wilmington DE welder working on poleThere are several organizations that offer welder certifications, which assess the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Wilmington DE employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are offered based upon the kind of work that the welder does. Just some of the skills 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 types of welds
  • Perform according to contract specifications

As earlier mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, some also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and confirm that the welding trade school you choose readies you for certification as needed.

How to Select a Welding Trade Program

Wilmington DE welder working on carAfter you have decided on the credential you would like to obtain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to assess schools. As you probably know, there are a large number of welder trade and technical schools in the Wilmington DE area. That’s why it’s important to determine in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already covered 2 important ones that most 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 need to be considered. After all, the school you decide on is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are more factors you may need to evaluate before picking a welder tech school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder vocational school you pick is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are 2 basic types of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school has, for example Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you get a quality education, the accreditation can also help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Wilmington DE for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welder certificate or degree programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Find out if the schools you are considering assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools must have associations with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and develop associations within the Wilmington DE welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that enroll in an educational program and complete it. It’s essential that the welding program you choose has a high completion rate. A reduced rate may signify that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the instructors, 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 confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Wilmington DE employer relationships to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have decreased your selection of welder schools to 2 or 3 options, you should think out going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed on are modern. Specifically, 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 already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Wilmington DE welding professional if they can give you a few pointers.

School Location. Although we previously briefly talked about the significance of location, there are a few additional points that we should deal with. You should remember that unless you have the ability to move, the welding program you select must be within commuting distance of your Wilmington DE home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from moving costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welding certificate programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement 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 wish to work.

Smaller Classes. Individualized instruction is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get overlooked in larger classes and not obtain much individualized training. Ask what the typical class size is for the welder programs you are considering. Inquire if you can attend some classes so that you can witness how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, talk with a few of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.

Flexible 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 flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Wilmington DE, make certain that the schools you are assessing offer those alternatives. If you can only enroll part-time, confirm 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, sickness or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Wilmington DE?

Perhaps you live in the Wilmington Delaware 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.

Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington (Lenape: Paxahakink, Pakehakink[6]) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It is at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine River, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley metropolitan area. Wilmington was named by Proprietor Thomas Penn after his friend Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, who was prime minister in the reign of George II of Great Britain.

As of the 2017 United States Census estimate, the city's population is 72,846.[7] It is the fifth least populous city in the U.S. to be the most populous in its state. The Wilmington Metropolitan Division, comprising New Castle County, DE, Cecil County, MD and Salem County, NJ, had an estimated 2016 population of 719,876.[8] The Delaware Valley metropolitan area, which includes the cities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey, had a 2016 population of 6,070,500, and a combined statistical area of 7,179,357.[9]

The area now known as Wilmington was settled by the Lenape (or Delaware Indian) band led by Sachem (Chief) Mattahorn just before Henry Hudson sailed up the Len-api Hanna ("People Like Me River", present Delaware River) in 1609. The area was called "Maax-waas Unk" or "Bear Place" after the Maax-waas Hanna (Bear River) that flowed by (present Christina River). It was called the Bear River because it flowed west to the "Bear People", who are now known as the People of Conestoga or the Susquehannocks.[citation needed]

Online Welding Schools

pipe welder at work in Wilmington DEWelding is very much a hands-on kind of vocation, and consequently not very compatible with training online. Having said that, there are a few online welding programs offered by various community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Wilmington DE area that can count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly cover such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a foundation to begin their education and training. Nevertheless, 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 done online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that would like to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely careful and verify that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Choose the Right Welding Tech School Wilmington DE

Choosing the best welder school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any welder school that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every program offers different possibilities for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Wilmington DE.

 

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