How to Find the Right Welding Training Program near Shellman Georgia

Selecting the ideal welder trade school near Shellman GA is an essential first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you select the best one? A number of prospective students begin by checking out the schools that are nearest to their homes. When they have found those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary concerns when reviewing welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s wise to establish a list of qualifications that your selected 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 Degree and Certificate Training

There are a number of alternatives available to receive training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can earn a diploma, a certificate 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 offered along with an apprenticeship program. Below are short descriptions of the most prevalent welding programs offered in the Shellman GA.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally made available by trade and technical schools and require about 1 year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, created mainly to develop 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 provides a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Many municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to find out for your location of future employment. As needed, the welding school you select should ready you for any licensing exams that you will need to take in addition to supplying the suitable training to become a professional welder.

Welding Certification Alternatives

There are a number of organizations that offer welder certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Shellman GA employers not only expect a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are available based upon the kind of work that the welder performs. Some of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

• Operate in compliance with specific codes
• Work with specific metal thicknesses
• Work with various types of welds
• Work based on contract specifications

As earlier mentioned, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, a number 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 just as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and verify that the welder vocational school you decide on prepares you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welding Trade Program

After you have chosen the credential you want to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you probably know, there are many welding trade and technical schools in the Shellman GA area. That’s why it’s necessary to decide up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously discussed a couple of significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the program you pick is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So below are more factors you may want to consider before picking a welding trade school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder technical school you pick is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are two basic types of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school has, for instance Welding Technology. So confirm 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 organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, the accreditation might also assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable in Shellman GA for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of welding diploma or degree programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are considering 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 place their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can help students find employment and develop associations within the Shellman GA welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that enroll in an educational program and finish it. It’s essential that the welder program you pick has a high completion rate. A low rate could mean that the students who were in the program were unhappy 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 school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Shellman GA employer relationships to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. After you have limited your choice of welding schools to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to inspect their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be taught on are up-to-date. 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 currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Shellman GA welding contractor if they can give you some suggestions.

School Location. Although we previously briefly talked about the significance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we should cover. You should remember that unless you are able to move, the welder program you select needs to be within commuting distance of your Shellman GA home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, often 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 desire to work.

Small Classes. Individualized training is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in larger classes and not obtain much one-on-one training. Ask what the average class size is for the welding schools you are reviewing. Inquire if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can experience how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, speak with some of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Convenient Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still working at their present job. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Shellman GA, make sure that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only enroll part-time, make certain that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any because of illness, work or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Shellman GA?

Perhaps you live in the Shellman 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 Training Programs

Welding is very much a hands-on type of vocation, and consequently not very suitable for training online. However, there are a small number of online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and technical schools in the greater Shellman GA area that can be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily deal with such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a foundation to start their education and training. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be accomplished online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that would like to advance their knowledge or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely careful and verify that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Pick the Ideal Welding Tech School Shellman GA

Choosing the right welder training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine 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 should be smaller in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Shellman GA.