How to Select a Welding Technical School near Winfield Illinois
Selecting the right welder technical school near Winfield IL is an important first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you select the right one? Most prospective students start by looking at the schools that are closest to their homes. Once they have found those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial issues when examining welder technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before starting 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 talk a little bit about how to become a welder.
Welding Degree and Certificate Training
There are several options available to get 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. Below are short explanations of the most common welding programs available in the Winfield IL.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by trade and technical schools and take about 1 year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, created mainly 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 2 years to complete and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.
Many municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore make sure to check for your location of potential employment. As required, the welding school you select should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.
Welding Certification Alternatives
There are various organizations that offer welding certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Winfield IL employers not only require a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are available dependent on the kind of work that the welder performs. Just some of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Operate in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specific metal thicknesses
- Work with specific types of welds
- Perform in compliance with contract specifications
As formerly stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number also require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and verify that the welder tech school you select prepares you for certification as needed.
How to Decide on a Welder Trade School
When you have decided on the credential you would like to attain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to assess schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are many welding trade and vocational schools in the Winfield IL area. That’s why it’s necessary to determine up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already discussed two significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the school you select is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are some additional factors you might need to evaluate before picking a welder trade school.
Accreditation. It’s very important that the welder trade school you decide on is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are two 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, for example Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, 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). Besides helping ensure that you get a superior education, the accreditation can also assist in getting financial aid or student loans, which are often not available in Winfield IL for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.
Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Numerous welder degree or diploma programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools must have partnerships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established 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 Winfield IL welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an instructional program and finish it. It’s important that the welder school you pick has a higher completion rate. A reduced rate may mean that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Winfield IL contacts to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.
Modern Facilities and Equipment. After you have limited your selection of welding schools to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should think out visiting the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify 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 in the field. If you are uncertain 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 Winfield IL welding professional if they can give you some suggestions.
School Location. Although we previously briefly discussed the relevance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we should cover. You should bear in mind that unless you have the ability to move, the welding school you select needs to be within commuting distance of your Winfield IL home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, besides moving costs there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welding diploma programs offered by community colleges. Also, 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 should be in a region or state where you ultimately will wish to work.
Smaller Classes. Individualized training is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in larger classes and not obtain much individualized training. Find out what the typical class size is for the welding programs you are reviewing. Inquire if you can attend some classes so that you can see how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with some of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, speak with a few of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.
Convenient Class Schedules. Some people learn a new profession while still employed at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Winfield IL, make sure that the schools you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family circumstances.
Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Winfield IL?
Perhaps you live in the Winfield Illinois 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.
Winfield, Illinois
Winfield is an incorporated village located in Milton and Winfield Townships, DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,718 at the 2000 census[6] and as of 2016 the population was 9,492.[7]
Winfield is home to Central DuPage Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the Chicago suburbs. Winfield has a Metra station on the Union Pacific/West Line, which provides regular commuter rail service to Chicago. Attractions adjacent to Winfield include the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Kline Creek Farm, a living history farm located on the west side of County Farm Road between Geneva and St. Charles Roads; and Cantigny, which includes public gardens, museums, golf courses, picnic grounds and hiking trails. Cantigny is located on the east side of Winfield Road, just south of Illinois Route 38, also known as Roosevelt Road. Winfield also enjoys parks and recreational services provided by the Winfield Park District. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County also owns and operates several other open space areas surrounding Winfield. Winfield is considered to be one of the top ten safest towns in Illinois.[8]
The Village of Winfield was incorporated as a village in 1921, but has roots from the 1830s, originally known as Gary's Mill after early settler Eurastus Gary, and later, Fredricksburg, owing to a significant German-speaking population. In the late 1800s, the settlement’s name was changed again to Winfield after the war hero Winfield Scott.[9][10]
Online Welding Training Programs
Welding is truly a hands-on kind of trade, and therefore not very suitable for training online. However, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Winfield IL area that can be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to begin their training and education. Nevertheless, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials until you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be done online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for experienced welders that desire to advance their expertise or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely careful and make certain that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Find the Right Welding Trade Program Winfield IL
Choosing the right welding school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any welder school that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Winfield IL.
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