How to Choose a Welder Degree Program near Whitehall Michigan

Selecting the right welding school near Whitehall MI is an important first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have narrowed down your choices, how do you pick the best one? A number of people begin by reviewing the schools that are closest to their residences. Once they have found those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are important concerns 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 prudent to establish 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.

Welding Certificate and Degree Training

There are a number of options available 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 available in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered along with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief descriptions of the most typical welding programs available in the Whitehall MI.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by technical and trade schools and take about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, created mainly to develop welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized 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 provides a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Many states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore don’t forget to find out for your location of potential employment. As needed, the welder school you pick should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to providing the suitable training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

There are a number of institutions that offer welding certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Whitehall MI employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available dependent on the kind of work that the welder performs. A few of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

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

As formerly mentioned, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, some additionally require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are a highly skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and confirm that the welder trade school you select readies you for certification as needed.

How to Pick a Welding Technical School

After you have decided on the credential you want to attain, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous welding trade and vocational schools in the Whitehall MI area. That’s why it’s important to determine in advance what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously covered 2 significant ones that many people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the program you choose is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are some additional factors you might want to consider before picking a welder technical school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welder tech school you select is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are two standard types of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school offers, such as Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, 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). In addition to helping make sure that you obtain a superior education, the accreditation may also assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable in Whitehall MI for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Many welder certificate or degree programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools should have relationships 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 utilize for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish associations within the Whitehall MI welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an academic program and finish it. It’s important that the welder program you pick has a high completion rate. A reduced rate may mean that the students who joined the program were unhappy with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Whitehall MI contacts to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have limited your choice of welder schools to two or three possibilities, you should consider visiting the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with in the field. If you are not sure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Whitehall MI welding contractor if they can give you a few tips.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly talked about the relevance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should cover. You should remember that unless you are able to relocate, the welding school you select must be within commuting distance of your Whitehall MI home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, besides relocation expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, often 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 subsequently will desire to work.

Small Classes. Personalized instruction is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in larger classes and not receive much one-on-one instruction. Ask what the average class size is for the welder schools you are considering. Inquire if you can attend some classes so that you can experience how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with some of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, talk with some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Convenient Class Scheduling. Many people learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Whitehall MI, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those alternatives. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Whitehall MI?

Perhaps you live in the Whitehall 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 Degree and Certificate Programs

Welding is truly a hands-on type of trade, and therefore not very compatible with online training. Even so, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and technical schools in the greater Whitehall MI area that may count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly deal with such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a basis to start their education and training. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be done online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for experienced welders that want to advance their expertise or possibly 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 setting.

Choose the Right Welding Technical Program Whitehall MI

Selecting the right welder school will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are several 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 good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each program offers unique options for certification as well. Probably The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Whitehall MI.