How to Find the Right Welding Trade School near Fairburn Georgia
Choosing the right welding school near Fairburn GA is an essential first step to beginning 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 importantly, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you pick the best one? A number of prospective students begin by checking out the schools that are closest to their homes. Once they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are important considerations when examining welder vocational 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 vocational school to become a welder, it’s sensible to create 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
There are a number of options available to obtain 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 programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief explanations of the most common welding programs offered in the Fairburn GA.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally made available by technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, created largely to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental skills for working welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still supplying the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
Many states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore don’t forget to find out for your location of potential employment. As needed, the welding school you pick should prep you for any licensing exams that you will need to pass in addition to furnishing the suitable training to become a qualified welder.
Welder Certification Choices
There are various organizations that offer welder certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Fairburn GA employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a highly regarded agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are offered based on the kind of work that the welder does. Some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to
- Operate in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specified metal thicknesses
- Work with certain types of welds
- Perform according to contract specifications
As formerly stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those requiring licensing, a number additionally require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and make certain that the welder trade school you decide on preps you for certification as needed.
How to Choose a Welder Technical Program
Once you have chosen the credential you want to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to assess schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous welding trade and technical schools in the Fairburn GA area. That’s why it’s important to decide in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already discussed 2 significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the program you choose is going to provide the education that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are more factors you might want to evaluate before selecting a welder trade school.
Accreditation. It’s essential that the welding tech school you select is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are two standard types of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you get a superior education, the accreditation may also help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered in Fairburn GA for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.
Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. A large number of welder degree or certificate programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools should have relationships 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 utilize for placements. These programs can help students find employment and develop relationships within the Fairburn GA welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an educational program and finish it. It’s crucial that the welding school you pick has a high completion rate. A lower rate could signify that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the program has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Fairburn GA contacts to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.
Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. After you have decreased your selection of welder schools to two or three options, you should think out visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with in the field. 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 Fairburn GA welding professional if they can give you a few suggestions.
School Location. Although we already briefly talked about the importance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to address. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to move, the welding program you pick must be within commuting distance of your Fairburn GA home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, besides relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, most likely their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you ultimately will wish to work.
Small Classes. Individualized training is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in larger classes and not receive much individualized instruction. Find out what the usual class size is for the welder schools you are considering. Inquire if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can experience just how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, speak with several of the students and get their evaluations. Also, talk to a couple of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.
Convenient Class Schedules. Some people learn a new profession while still employed at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Fairburn GA, make certain that the schools you are considering provide those alternatives. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any due to work, sickness or family circumstances.
Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Fairburn GA?
Perhaps you live in the Fairburn 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.
Fairburn, Georgia
Fairburn is located along a railroad line and was the county seat of Campbell County starting in 1871. It was chosen as county seat in a referendum in 1871 that was spurred by the original seat of Campbellton refusing to allow the Atlanta & West Point Railroad line through on account of the anticipated noise in the 1850s. The railroad instead passed through Fairburn. Campbellton then faded away as Fairburn grew. The government of Campbell County went bankrupt in 1931 during the Great Depression and, along with Milton County to the north, was absorbed into Fulton County when 1932 began.
Fairburn is located at 33°33′45″N 84°34′53″W / 33.56250°N 84.58139°W / 33.56250; -84.58139 (33.562411, -84.581443).[7] Fairburn is located along Interstate 85, which leads northeast 20 miles (32 km) to downtown Atlanta and southwest 142 miles (229 km) to Montgomery, Alabama. Georgia State Route 74 also runs through the city, leading south 13 miles (21 km) to Peachtree City.
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 5,464 people, 1,879 households, and 1,416 families residing in the city. The population density was 750.9 people per square mile (289.8/km²). There were 2,005 housing units at an average density of 275.5 per square mile (106.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.64% African American, 43.08% White, 0.29% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 6.46% from other races, and 1.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.01% of the population.
Online Welder Degree and Certificate Programs
Welding is very much a manual type of profession, and consequently not very compatible with training online. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by various community colleges and technical schools in the greater Fairburn GA area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses mainly deal with such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to begin their education and training. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be done online. These skills have to 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 knowledge or possibly obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely cautious and verify that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Choose the Best Welding Trade Program Fairburn GA
Picking the right welder school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training program that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers different options for certification as well. Probably The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you choose is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Fairburn GA.
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