How to Find the Right Welder Training Program near Franklin Georgia

Locating the ideal welding vocational school near Franklin GA is an important first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you pick the best one? Most prospective students start by looking at the schools that are closest to their homes. Once they have identified those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations 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 initiating your search for a trade 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 Training Programs

There are several options to get training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can receive a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered along with an apprenticeship program. Following are short descriptions of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Franklin GA.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally made available by trade and technical schools and take about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned mainly to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized 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 furnishes a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

A number of states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so be sure to find out for your location of future employment. As needed, the welder school you choose should prep you for any licensing exams that you will need to take in addition to providing the suitable training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

There are several organizations that provide welding certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Franklin GA employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a highly regarded organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are available based on the type of work that the welder does. Just some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

• Work in compliance with specific codes
• Work with specified metal thicknesses
• Work with certain types of welds
• Perform in compliance with contract specifications

As formerly mentioned, various states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, many additionally require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and make sure that the welder tech school you choose readies you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welding Trade Program

As soon as you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to assess schools. As you can imagine, there are many welder vocational and trade schools in the Franklin GA area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have previously covered two important ones that many people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the program you select is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are more factors you might need to consider before choosing a welding technical school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder tech school you select is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are 2 basic 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 has, for example Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you receive a quality education, the accreditation may also assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available in Franklin GA for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welder degree or diploma 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. Ask if the schools you are considering assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools should have partnerships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish associations within the Franklin 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 essential that the welding program you select has a higher completion rate. A low rate might mean that the students who joined the program were unhappy with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only affirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Franklin GA contacts to help students secure employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have narrowed down your choice of welder programs to 2 or 3 options, you should consider going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Confirm that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be taught on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with on the job. If you are uncertain 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 Franklin GA welding professional if they can give you some suggestions.

School Location. Although we previously briefly talked about the relevance of location, there are a few additional issues that we should address. You should keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the welder school you pick needs to be within driving distance of your Franklin GA home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement program, most likely 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 ultimately will want to work.

Smaller Classes. Individualized instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in larger classes and not get much individualized instruction. Ask what the average class size is for the welder programs you are looking at. Inquire if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can experience just how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their opinions. Also, talk with a few of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still employed at their present job. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Franklin GA, confirm that the schools you are considering offer those alternatives. If you can only enroll part-time, verify that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Franklin GA?

Perhaps you live in the Franklin 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 Welding Classes

Welding is very much a hands-on kind of vocation, and therefore not extremely compatible with online training. Even so, there are a small number of online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Franklin GA area that may be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to initiate their training and education. Nevertheless, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until 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 more appropriate for seasoned welders that would like to advance their knowledge or perhaps obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and make certain that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Select the Ideal Welding Trade Program Franklin GA

Selecting the best welding school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any welding school that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional welder in Franklin GA.