How to Choose a Welding Certification Program near Blakely Georgia

Enrolling in the ideal welding technical school near Blakely GA is an essential first step to beginning your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to select from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you select the right one? A number of prospective students start by checking out the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have located those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations when examining welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before beginning your search for a trade 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 Certificate and Degree Programs

There are a number of alternatives available to obtain training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available along with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief summaries of the most prevalent welding programs offered in the Blakely GA.

• Certificate and Diploma Programs are normally made available by trade and technical schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned largely 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 usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

A number of municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to find out for your location of potential employment. As required, the welding school you choose should prep you for any licensing exams that you will need to pass in addition to providing the suitable training to become a professional welder.

Welding Certification Choices

There are several institutions that offer welding certifications, which assess the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Blakely GA employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are offered based upon the type of work that the welder performs. A few 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 various types of welds
• Work in compliance with contract specifications

As earlier mentioned, some states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, many also require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and verify that the welding tech school you decide on prepares you for certification as needed.

How to Pick a Welding Tech Program

When you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you probably know, there are many welding vocational and trade schools in the Blakely GA area. That’s why it’s important to decide in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have previously covered a couple of significant ones that many people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the school you decide on 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 need to evaluate before picking a welding tech school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder trade school you choose is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are 2 basic kinds of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a single program the school has, for instance Welding Technology. So confirm 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 agency, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, the accreditation can also assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not offered in Blakely GA 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 also.

Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welder certificate or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools should have partnerships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for placements. These programs can help students find employment and develop relationships within the Blakely GA welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an academic program and finish it. It’s crucial that the welding school you pick has a high completion rate. A low rate may mean that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only confirm that the program has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Blakely GA contacts to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. After you have narrowed down your selection of welder programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Make sure that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with in the field. If you are unsure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Blakely GA welding contractor if they can give you a few suggestions.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly covered the importance of location, there are a few additional points that we should cover. You should keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the welder program you pick needs to be within driving distance of your Blakely GA home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welding diploma programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement program, most likely their placements are within the school’s regional 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 training is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in larger classes and not receive much personalized training. Ask what the average class size is for the welder programs you are looking at. Inquire if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can see how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, talk with some of the students and get their evaluations. Also, chat with a couple of the instructors and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Convenient Class Schedules. Some people learn a new profession while still employed at their present job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Blakely GA, confirm that the schools you are looking at offer those alternatives. If you can only enroll part-time, verify that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out 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 Blakely GA?

Perhaps you live in the Blakely 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.

Online Welder Degree and Certificate Programs

Welding is truly a manual type of trade, and for that reason not extremely suitable for training online. Even so, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by various community colleges and technical schools in the greater Blakely GA area that may be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These courses mainly deal with such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a foundation to begin their training and education. Nevertheless, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously 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 better suited for experienced welders that desire to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and confirm that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Find the Right Welding Vocational School Blakely GA

Picking the best welding school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any welder training that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Blakely GA.