How to Pick a Welder Training Class near Waleska Georgia

Locating the ideal welder technical school near Waleska GA is an essential first step to starting your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to select 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? Most prospective students begin by reviewing the schools that are closest to their homes. Once they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary issues when reviewing welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s wise to create a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

There are multiple options to get training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can receive a a certificate, a diploma 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 combined with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief descriptions of the most typical welding programs available in the Waleska GA.

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

Many states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore don’t forget to check for your location of future employment. As required, the welding school you choose should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to providing the proper training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Choices

There are several institutions that offer welder certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Waleska GA employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered based upon the type of work that the welder performs. A few of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

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

As formerly stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those requiring licensing, some additionally require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are a highly skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and make sure that the welder trade school you choose prepares you for certification as needed.

How to Decide on a Welding Technical Program

As soon as you have chosen the credential you want to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to assess schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of welder trade and technical schools in the Waleska GA area. That’s why it’s important to establish up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already covered 2 significant ones that many people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that should be looked at. After all, the program you choose is going to furnish the training that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are more factors you might want to consider before choosing a welding trade school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder trade school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two standard types of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a single program the school offers, such as Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you obtain a superior education, the accreditation might also assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not offered in Waleska GA for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welder degree or certificate programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are considering help 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 refer their students. Older schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can utilize for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and develop relationships within the Waleska 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 complete it. It’s essential that the welding school you pick has a high completion rate. A low rate could mean that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only verify that the program has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Waleska GA contacts to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your selection of welder schools to two or three possibilities, you should consider visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Make sure that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are modern. In particular, 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 Waleska GA welding professional if they can give you a few tips.

School Location. Even though we already briefly talked about the importance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should cover. You should remember that unless you can move, the welding program you select must be within driving distance of your Waleska GA home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving expenses there may 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 offers 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 a region or state where you ultimately will want to work.

Smaller Classes. One-on-one training is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to get overlooked in larger classes and not receive much personalized instruction. Find out what the average class size is for the welding programs you are looking at. Inquire if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can observe just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, chat with some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.

Flexible Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still employed at their present job. Verify 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 Waleska GA, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask 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 Waleska GA?

Perhaps you live in the Waleska 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 truly a hands-on type of vocation, and consequently not very compatible with training online. However, there are some online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Waleska GA area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes mainly deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to begin their training and education. Nevertheless, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be accomplished online. These skills have to 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 expertise or possibly attain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and make certain that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Pick the Right Welding Vocational School Waleska GA

Choosing the ideal welding school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any welding training program that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Waleska GA.