How to Find the Right Welding Degree Program near Macon Mississippi

Finding the right welding trade school near Macon MS is an essential first step to launching your new career 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 notably, once you have narrowed down your choices, how do you select the best one? Many people begin by looking at the schools that are nearest to their residences. When they have found those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary issues when evaluating welding trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as reputation, accreditation 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 talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Certificate and Degree Training Programs

There are a number of alternatives available to obtain training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can earn a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered along with an apprenticeship program. Below are short descriptions of the most typical welding programs available in the Macon MS.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally offered by technical and trade schools and take about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned mainly to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional skills for working welders.
• Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

A number of states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore be sure to find out for your location of future employment. If needed, the welding school you pick should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will have to take in addition to providing the suitable training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Options

There are various organizations that offer welding certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Macon MS employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based upon the kind 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 specified metal thicknesses
• Work with specific kinds of welds
• Operate in compliance with contract specifications

As formerly mentioned, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, a number additionally require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and make sure that the welding tech school you decide on readies you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welder Vocational Program

Once you have chosen the credential you want to attain, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to assess schools. As you can imagine, there are many welding trade and technical schools in the Macon MS area. That’s why it’s necessary to decide up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have already discussed 2 important ones that most people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the program you choose is going to provide the education that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are some additional factors you might want to evaluate before choosing a welding tech school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder tech school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are 2 standard types of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a single program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So make sure 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 organization, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, the accreditation may also help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable in Macon MS for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. A large number of welding degree or certificate programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools should have associations with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can help students find employment and develop relationships within the Macon MS welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an educational program and complete it. It’s essential that the welder school you pick has a high completion rate. A reduced rate could indicate 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 an indication of the quality of training. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the program has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Macon MS contacts to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Modern Facilities and Equipment. After you have limited your choice of welding programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Confirm 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 using in the field. 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. Otherwise, ask a local Macon MS welding contractor if they can give you some 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 bear in mind that unless you have the ability to move, the welding program you pick must be within commuting distance of your Macon MS home. If you do decide 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 particularly the case for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement program, most likely their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you ultimately will desire to work.

Small Classes. Individualized training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in larger classes and not get much one-on-one instruction. Ask what the average class size is for the welder programs you are considering. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can see just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with some of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, speak with some of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.

Convenient Class Scheduling. Many people learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Macon MS, make sure that the schools you are looking at offer those options. If you can only enroll part-time, verify that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Macon MS?

Perhaps you live in the Macon Mississippi 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 Classes

Welding is truly a hands-on kind of trade, and therefore not extremely suitable for training online. However, there are a few online welding courses offered by various community colleges and technical schools in the greater Macon MS area that may count toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to initiate their training and education. Nevertheless, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until you actually do it. Obviously 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 better suited for experienced welders that would like to advance their expertise or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely cautious and confirm that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Choose the Right Welding Trade School Macon MS

Selecting the best welder school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to visit 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 program you decide on is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional welder in Macon MS.