How to Pick a Welding Technical School near Nottawa Michigan

Finding the right welder technical school near Nottawa MI is an essential first step to starting your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to select from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you select the right one? Many prospective students start by checking out the schools that are closest to their residences. Once they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are crucial considerations when evaluating welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors 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 prudent 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 Certificate and Degree Training Courses

There are multiple alternatives available to obtain training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can earn a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered along with an apprenticeship program. Following are short explanations of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Nottawa MI.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally made available by trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, designed primarily to teach welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional 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 offers a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Some municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore be sure to check for your location of potential employment. If needed, the welding school you choose should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to providing the suitable training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Choices

There are a number of organizations that provide welding certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Nottawa MI employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available dependent on the type of work that the welder performs. Just some of the skills 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 according to contract specifications

As earlier mentioned, many cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, many also require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and confirm that the welder trade school you choose readies you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welder Technical Program

When you have decided on the credential you want to obtain, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to evaluate schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welding vocational and trade schools in the Nottawa MI area. That’s why it’s important to decide up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously discussed a couple of important ones that many people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that should be looked at. After all, the school you decide on is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may need to consider before picking a welder technical school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welding technical school you pick is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are 2 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, for example Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, the accreditation might also assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable in Nottawa MI for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welding degree or certificate programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools must have partnerships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop associations within the Nottawa MI welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an academic program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welding school you pick has a high completion rate. A reduced rate may mean that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only confirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Nottawa MI contacts to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have decreased your selection of welder schools to 2 or 3 options, you should think out visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Make sure that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed on are modern. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with on the job. If you are unsure 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 Nottawa MI welding professional if they can give you some pointers.

School Location. Although we previously briefly discussed the importance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should address. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welder program you pick must be within commuting distance of your Nottawa MI home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welding certificate programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school provides 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 subsequently will desire to work.

Smaller Classes. Individualized instruction is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to be lost in larger classes and not obtain much one-on-one instruction. Ask what the typical class size is for the welder programs you are reviewing. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can experience how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, talk with several of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, talk with 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 trade while still working at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Nottawa MI, verify that the schools you are assessing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any due to illness, work or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Nottawa MI?

Perhaps you live in the Nottawa 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 Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

Welding is very much a hands-on kind of profession, and consequently not very suitable for training online. Having said that, there are a few online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Nottawa MI area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses primarily deal with such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a foundation to begin their education and training. Nevertheless, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be accomplished online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that would like to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding certificate or degree program, be very cautious and confirm that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Select the Right Welding Trade Program Nottawa MI

Selecting the ideal welder training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welder school that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each training program provides unique options for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Nottawa MI.