How to Pick a Welding Certification Class near Hickory Corners Michigan

Finding the right welder technical school near Hickory Corners MI is an essential first step to beginning your new career as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you select the right one? Many people start by reviewing the schools that are closest to their residences. When they have found those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are important issues when examining welding trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before beginning your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s wise to create a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Degree and Certificate Training Classes

There are several options to get training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma 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 brief summaries of the most common welding programs offered in the Hickory Corners MI.

• Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally made available by trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned largely to teach welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized skills for working welders.
• Associate Degree Programs will take two years to finish and are most often 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 readies students to enter the workforce.

A number of municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore don’t forget to check for your location of future employment. As needed, the welder school you select should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will need to take in addition to supplying the proper training to become a professional welder.

Welding Certification Alternatives

There are several institutions that offer welding certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Hickory Corners MI employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available dependent on the kind of work that the welder does. A few of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

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

As previously mentioned, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and make sure that the welder trade school you select prepares you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welder Technical Program

After you have chosen the credential you would like to earn, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to assess schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous welder trade and technical schools in the Hickory Corners MI area. That’s why it’s important to determine up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have already discussed a couple of significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the program you choose is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are more factors you might want to evaluate before picking a welder trade school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder technical school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two standard types of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping ensure that you receive a superior education, the accreditation may also help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable in Hickory Corners MI for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous welding diploma or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Find out if the schools you are looking at assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These 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 larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop relationships within the Hickory Corners MI welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an instructional program and complete it. It’s essential that the welding program you pick has a higher completion rate. A low rate might signify that the students who were 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 confirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Hickory Corners MI contacts to help students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. After you have decreased your selection of welding programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should consider going to the campuses to inspect their facilities. Make sure that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. In particular, 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, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Hickory Corners MI welding professional if they can give you a few tips.

School Location. Although we already briefly covered the relevance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should address. You should keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the welder school you select needs to be within commuting distance of your Hickory Corners MI home. If you do opt 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 particularly the case for welding diploma programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement 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 ultimately will desire to work.

Smaller Classes. Individualized instruction is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to get lost in larger classes and not obtain much personalized instruction. Ask what the typical class size is for the welder schools you are looking at. Inquire if you can sit in on some classes so that you can witness how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with several of the students and get their opinions. Also, talk to a couple of the instructors and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Hickory Corners MI, 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 due to work, sickness or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Hickory Corners MI?

Perhaps you live in the Hickory Corners Michigan 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 Degree and Certificate Programs

Welding is truly a manual type of profession, and consequently not very compatible with training online. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by various community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Hickory Corners MI area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a foundation to begin their training and education. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously 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 seasoned welders that would like to advance their knowledge or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be very careful and verify that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Find the Best Welding Tech Program Hickory Corners MI

Choosing the ideal welding school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every program provides different options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Hickory Corners MI.