How to Pick a Welding Trade School near Yates City Illinois

Locating the right welder school near Yates City IL is an essential 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 importantly, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you pick the best one? Many people begin by looking at the schools that are nearest to their homes. Once they have identified those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations 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 sensible to create 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 to obtain training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available along with an apprenticeship program. Following are short summaries of the most typical welding programs offered in the Yates City IL.

• Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually made available by trade and technical schools and require about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned mainly to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental 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 furnishes a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Some states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, so make sure to check for your location of future employment. If required, the welder school you select should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to supplying the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Choices

There are several institutions that offer welder certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Yates City IL employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available based on the kind 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
• Operate according to contract specifications

As formerly stated, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, many also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and knowledgeable welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and confirm that the welder vocational school you choose readies you for certification if needed.

How to Decide on a Welding Tech School

After you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to assess schools. As you probably know, there are a large number of welder trade and vocational schools in the Yates City IL area. That’s why it’s important to establish up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have previously covered 2 important ones that many people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the program 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 want to consider before selecting a welder tech school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder trade school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are two standard 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 has, for instance Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you obtain an excellent education, the accreditation may also help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not available in Yates City IL for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

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

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an instructional program and complete it. It’s important that the welding program you pick has a high completion rate. A low rate could indicate that the students who enrolled in the program were dissatisfied 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 affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Yates City IL contacts to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Modern Facilities and Equipment. After you have limited your selection of welding schools to two or three options, you should think out visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be using on the job. If you are uncertain what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Yates City IL welding professional if they can give you some pointers.

School Location. Even though we already briefly covered the importance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we need to deal with. You should keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the welder program you pick needs to be within driving distance of your Yates City IL home. If you do choose to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers 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 an area or state where you ultimately will wish to work.

Small Classes. Individualized training is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in bigger classes and not get much one-on-one instruction. Find out what the typical class size is for the welding programs you are considering. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can witness how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their evaluations. Also, talk to some of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Flexible Class Schedules. Some people learn a new profession while still working at their present job. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Yates City IL, verify that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out 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 Yates City IL?

Perhaps you live in the Yates City 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.

Online Welder Schools

Welding is truly a manual kind 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 Yates City IL area that may count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly cover such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to begin their training and education. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be done online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for seasoned welders that desire to advance their expertise or possibly earn a more advanced degree. So if you should find 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 setting.

Select the Ideal Welding Trade School Yates City IL

Choosing the ideal welding school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any welding school that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should 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 training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to check out 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 ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Yates City IL.