How to Choose a Welding Training Class near Portland Michigan

Choosing the right welding trade school near Portland MI is an important first step to launching 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 fine tuned your options, how do you pick the right one? Most people start by looking at the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have found those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary concerns when examining welder vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s wise to establish a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Degree and Certificate Training Programs

There are multiple options available to receive training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can receive a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief explanations of the most typical welding programs available in the Portland MI.

• Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by trade and technical schools and take about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned mainly 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 most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

A number of states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore don’t forget to check for your location of future employment. As needed, the welder school you choose should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will need to take in addition to supplying the suitable training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

There are several organizations that offer welding certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Portland MI employers not only expect a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered dependent on the type of work that the welder performs. Some of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

• Work in compliance with specific codes
• Work with specified metal thicknesses
• Work with specific kinds of welds
• Operate according to contract specifications

As already stated, some states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many also require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and make certain that the welder tech school you choose prepares you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welding Tech Program

After you have decided on the credential you want to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you can imagine, there are many welder trade and technical schools in the Portland MI area. That’s why it’s necessary to determine up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered two significant ones that most people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the school you pick is going to provide the education that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may need to evaluate before choosing a welder trade school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder trade 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 a specific program the school offers, for example Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you get an excellent education, the accreditation might also help in getting financial assistance or student loans, which are often not offered in Portland MI for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of welding degree or certificate programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools must have partnerships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. Older 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 Portland MI welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an academic program and finish it. It’s important that the welder program you select has a higher completion rate. A reduced rate may signify that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the teachers, 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 program has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Portland MI employer relationships to help students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Facilities and Equipment. Once you have decreased your selection of welding schools to 2 or 3 options, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Confirm 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 using in the field. If you are not sure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Portland MI welding professional if they can give you some pointers.

School Location. Although we already briefly discussed the significance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should address. You should keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the welding program you choose needs to be within commuting distance of your Portland MI home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true 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 needs to be in an area or state where you ultimately will desire to work.

Smaller Classes. One-on-one instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get lost in bigger classes and not receive much individualized instruction. Find out what the usual class size is for the welding schools you are considering. Inquire if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can witness how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, talk with some of the students and get their evaluations. Also, talk to some of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.

Convenient Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still working at their present job. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Portland MI, verify that the schools you are assessing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any due to work, sickness or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Portland MI?

Perhaps you live in the Portland 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 truly a manual type of profession, and therefore not extremely suitable for training online. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding programs offered by specific community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Portland MI area that can be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These courses primarily deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to start their education and training. Nevertheless, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be accomplished online. These skills must 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 obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be very cautious and verify that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Choose the Best Welding Trade School Portland MI

Picking the right welder school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have covered 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 welder training that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification also. Probably the best 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. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional welder in Portland MI.