How to Choose a Welder Training Program near Perry Michigan
Finding the right welding school near Perry MI is an important first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to pick from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you select the right one? A number of prospective students start by checking out the schools that are closest to their residences. Once they have identified those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations when reviewing welder vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before beginning your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s wise to create a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.
Welder Certificate and Degree Training Programs
There are a number of options to obtain training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can obtain a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief descriptions of the most typical welding programs offered in the Perry MI.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally made available by trade and technical schools and require about 1 year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned largely to develop welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized skills for experienced welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take two years to complete and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes 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, so be sure to find out for your location of potential employment. As required, the welder school you pick should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to furnishing the proper training to become a qualified welder.
Welder Certification Alternatives
There are several institutions that offer welder certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Perry MI employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available based upon the type 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 various types of welds
- Operate in compliance with contract specifications
As earlier mentioned, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number additionally require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So just 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 Trade School
As soon as you have decided on the credential you would like to attain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to assess schools. As you probably know, there are many welding trade and technical schools in the Perry MI area. That’s why it’s necessary to determine in advance what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have already discussed two important ones that most people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the school you decide on is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are more factors you may need to evaluate before choosing a welder tech school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding trade school you decide on is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are two basic kinds of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school offers, for instance Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you choose 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 make sure that you receive a quality education, the accreditation may also help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Perry MI for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.
Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of welder degree or certificate programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools should have relationships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish associations within the Perry MI welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an instructional program and finish it. It’s important that the welding program you select has a higher completion rate. A reduced rate could signify that the students who enrolled in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Perry MI employer relationships to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.
Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have narrowed down your choice of welding programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to inspect their facilities. Confirm that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with 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 Perry MI welding professional if they can give you a few tips.
School Location. Although we already briefly covered the importance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to deal with. You should remember that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welding program you select must be within commuting distance of your Perry MI home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welder diploma programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship 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 wish to work.
Smaller Classes. One-on-one training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to be overlooked in bigger classes and not receive much personalized instruction. Find out what the usual class size is for the welder schools you are reviewing. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can observe just how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with several of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, speak with a couple of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.
Convenient Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new profession while still employed at their present job. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Perry MI, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family circumstances.
Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Perry MI?
Perhaps you live in the Perry 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.
Perry, Michigan
Perry is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,188 at the 2010 census. The city is located within Perry Township and has Perry High School, Middle School and Elementary School.
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 2,188 people, 823 households, and 584 families residing in the city. The population density was 749.3 inhabitants per square mile (289.3/km2). There were 902 housing units at an average density of 308.9 per square mile (119.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.8% White, 0.3% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population.
There were 823 households of which 39.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.0% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.12.
Online Welding Certificate and Degree Programs
Welding is truly a hands-on kind of trade, and consequently not very suitable for training online. Even so, there are a few online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Perry MI area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses primarily cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to begin their education and training. However, the most important 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 need to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that desire to advance their expertise or perhaps obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely cautious and make certain that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Find the Best Welding Vocational School Perry MI
Selecting the right welding school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare among the programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any welder training that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education should offer a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Perry MI.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 1
6 Reviews 