How to Enroll In a Welding Certification Class near Kennesaw Georgia

Finding the right welding vocational school near Kennesaw GA is an essential first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you select the right one? Many prospective students start by looking at the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have identified those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are important issues when examining welder vocational 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 wise to develop a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Certificate and Degree Training Programs

There are multiple options to receive training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can obtain a diploma, a certificate 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 offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are short explanations of the most typical welding programs offered in the Kennesaw GA.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally offered by trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned mainly to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional skills for working welders.
• Associate Degree Programs will take two years to finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

A number of states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to check for your location of future employment. If required, the welding school you pick should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will need to take in addition to providing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

There are a number of institutions that offer welder certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Kennesaw GA employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available based on the type of work that the welder performs. Just some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As previously stated, many cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, some also require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an extremely skilled and knowledgeable welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and confirm that the welder technical school you select readies you for certification as needed.

How to Select a Welding Technical Program

As soon as you have chosen the credential you want to obtain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to assess schools. As you probably know, there are many welding vocational and trade schools in the Kennesaw GA area. That’s why it’s essential to decide up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have already covered 2 important ones that many people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that should be looked at. After all, the program you select is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are more factors you might need to evaluate before choosing a welder tech school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welding vocational school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two basic kinds of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a single program the school offers, for instance Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you get an excellent education, the accreditation can also assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not offered in Kennesaw GA for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Numerous welding degree or diploma programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools should have partnerships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop relationships within the Kennesaw GA welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an educational program and complete it. It’s important that the welding program you choose has a high completion rate. A reduced rate might signify that the students who enrolled 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 quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only confirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Kennesaw GA contacts to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your choice of welder programs to 2 or 3 options, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be using 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 Kennesaw GA welding professional if they can give you a few suggestions.

School Location. Even though we already briefly talked about the relevance of location, there are a few additional points that we should address. You should bear in mind that unless you have the ability to move, the welder school you select must be within commuting distance of your Kennesaw GA home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides moving costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers 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 an area or state where you subsequently will want to work.

Small Classes. Individualized training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in larger classes and not obtain much one-on-one instruction. Ask what the usual class size is for the welding programs you are reviewing. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can witness how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, chat with a few of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Flexible Class Schedules. Many people learn a new profession while still working at their current job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Kennesaw GA, make certain that the schools you are looking at offer those options. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, confirm that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any because of illness, work or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Kennesaw GA?

Perhaps you live in the Kennesaw 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 Training

Welding is very much a hands-on type of trade, and therefore not very suitable for training online. Even so, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Kennesaw GA area that can be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a foundation to start their training and education. Nevertheless, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials unless you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be accomplished online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that want to advance their knowledge or possibly obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely careful and make certain that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Find the Ideal Welding Tech Program Kennesaw GA

Choosing the best welder school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any welder training program that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Kennesaw GA.