How to Pick a Welding Training Class near Hazlehurst Georgia

Finding the right welder trade school near Hazlehurst GA is an important first step to starting your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have narrowed down your choices, how do you select the best one? Many people begin by reviewing the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have found those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial considerations when examining welding trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations 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 prudent to develop a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we delve into 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 available to obtain 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 offered in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief explanations of the most prevalent welding programs offered in the Hazlehurst GA.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally made available by trade and technical schools and take about one year to complete. 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 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 extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Some municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so make sure to check for your location of potential employment. If needed, the welder school you pick should prepare 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 Options

There are various institutions that offer welder certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Hazlehurst GA employers not only demand 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 available based on the kind of work that the welder does. Some of the things that certification can acknowledge 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 earlier mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, a number additionally require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and verify that the welding trade school you decide on preps you for certification as needed.

How to Select a Welding Vocational School

After you have chosen the credential you would like to earn, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you probably know, there are numerous welding trade and vocational schools in the Hazlehurst GA area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously discussed 2 significant ones that many people consider 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 looked at. After all, the school you select is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may want to evaluate before picking a welder technical school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder tech school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 standard types of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school offers, such as Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you select is accredited, not just the school itself. 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 quality education, the accreditation can also help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available in Hazlehurst GA for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. A large number of welder degree or diploma programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job 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 partnerships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop relationships within the Hazlehurst GA welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an instructional program and finish it. It’s crucial that the welder program you pick has a high completion rate. A low rate may mean that the students who enrolled in the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, 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 affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Hazlehurst GA employer relationships to assist students secure employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have narrowed down your choice of welder schools to 2 or 3 options, you should think out visiting the campuses to look over their facilities. Make sure that both the facilities and the equipment 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 currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Hazlehurst GA welding professional if they can give you a few suggestions.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly covered the importance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we need to address. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to move, the welding school you choose must be within driving distance of your Hazlehurst GA home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, most likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you subsequently will desire to work.

Small Classes. Personalized training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to get overlooked in bigger classes and not get much one-on-one training. Ask what the usual class size is for the welding programs you are considering. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can experience just how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, speak with some of the students and get their evaluations. Also, speak with a few of the teachers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Flexible Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new profession while still employed at their present job. Check to see that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Hazlehurst GA, make certain that the schools you are looking at provide those alternatives. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Hazlehurst GA?

Perhaps you live in the Hazlehurst 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 Certificate and Degree Programs

Welding is very much a hands-on kind of vocation, and consequently not extremely compatible with training online. Even so, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by various community colleges and technical schools in the greater Hazlehurst GA area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes mainly deal with such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to initiate their training and education. Nevertheless, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be performed online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for seasoned welders that want 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 careful and confirm that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Choose the Right Welding Trade Program Hazlehurst GA

Selecting the right welding 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 many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any welding school that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Hazlehurst GA.