How to Find the Right Welder Certificate Program near Cambridge Minnesota

Locating the ideal welder trade school near Cambridge MN is an essential first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to select from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have narrowed down your alternatives, how do you pick the best one? Most people begin by checking out the schools that are closest to their residences. When they have found those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and tuition cost are crucial concerns when reviewing welding technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s prudent to create a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Degree and Certificate Programs

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

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by technical and trade schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed largely 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 2 years to complete and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Some municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore be sure to find out for your location of potential employment. As needed, the welding school you pick should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will need to pass in addition to providing the proper training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Choices

There are several institutions that offer welding certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Cambridge MN 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). Different certifications are offered based upon the kind of work that the welder does. Just some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As previously stated, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, some additionally require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are a highly skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and make sure that the welder technical school you select prepares you for certification as needed.

How to Pick a Welding Tech School

As soon as you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welder trade and technical schools in the Cambridge MN area. That’s why it’s necessary to determine up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already discussed 2 significant ones that most 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 select is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are some additional factors you may want to evaluate before choosing a welding tech school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder tech school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 standard types of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a single program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So verify that the program you select is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, 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 ensure that you receive a superior education, the accreditation can also assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often not offered in Cambridge MN for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. Many welder diploma or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools should have associations with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. Older schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish associations within the Cambridge MN 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 essential that the welder school you select has a higher completion rate. A lower rate may indicate that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the program has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Cambridge MN employer relationships to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have narrowed down your selection of welding schools to 2 or 3 options, you should think out visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are modern. Specifically, 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 currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Cambridge MN welding contractor if they can give you a few tips.

School Location. Although we previously briefly talked about the relevance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to address. You should remember that unless you have the ability to move, the welder program you select needs to be within driving distance of your Cambridge MN home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from moving costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement program, most likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in a region 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 easy to be lost in larger classes and not get much personalized training. Ask what the typical class size is for the welding schools you are considering. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can see how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, speak with some of the instructors and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.

Flexible Class Schedules. Some people learn a new profession while still working at their present job. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Cambridge MN, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer those alternatives. If you can only attend part-time, verify that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Cambridge MN?

Perhaps you live in the Cambridge Minnesota 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 Certificate and Degree Programs

Welding is very much a manual type of profession, and consequently not very compatible with online training. Even so, there are some online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Cambridge MN area that can count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses primarily deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a foundation to initiate their education and training. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be performed online. These skills need to 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 expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely cautious and verify that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Find the Best Welding Technical Program Cambridge MN

Picking the right welding training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare among the programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training program that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you select is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Cambridge MN.