How to Select a Welder Degree Program near Senatobia Mississippi
Locating the right welder trade school near Senatobia MS is an essential first step to beginning your new career as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to pick from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have narrowed down your alternatives, how do you pick the best one? Most people start by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their homes. Once they have identified those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary concerns when evaluating welder technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before starting 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 explore our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.
Welding Degree and Certificate Training Classes
There are multiple options to get training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered along with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief explanations of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Senatobia MS.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally made available by technical and trade schools and take about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, created primarily to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental skills for working welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take two years to finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still supplying the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
Many municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so make sure to check for your location of future employment. If needed, the welder school you select should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.
Welder Certification Options
There are a number of institutions that provide welder certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. A large number of Senatobia MS employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered based upon the type of work that the welder performs. Some 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 specific kinds of welds
- Work in compliance with contract specifications
As formerly stated, many cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and make certain that the welder trade school you choose preps you for certification if needed.
How to Decide on a Welder Technical Program
When you have chosen the credential you want to earn, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of welding vocational and trade schools in the Senatobia MS area. That’s why it’s essential to determine in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already covered two significant ones that many people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that should be considered. After all, the school you select is going to provide the education that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are some additional factors you might want to evaluate before choosing a welding vocational school.
Accreditation. It’s very important that the welder technical school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 basic 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 has, for instance Welding Technology. So verify 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 agency, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you get a superior education, the accreditation might also assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available in Senatobia MS for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.
Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welding degree or certificate programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools must have relationships with local unions and other 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 assist students in finding employment and establish associations within the Senatobia MS welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an educational program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welder school you pick has a high completion rate. A lower rate could indicate that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the quality of training. A high job placement rate will not only verify that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Senatobia MS employer relationships to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.
Modern Facilities and Equipment. After you have decreased your selection of welder programs to two or three 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 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 Senatobia MS welding professional if they can give you some pointers.
School Location. Even though we already briefly discussed the significance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we need to cover. You should remember that unless you are able to move, the welder school you select needs to be within commuting distance of your Senatobia MS home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in an area or state where you ultimately will want to work.
Small Classes. Personalized training is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get overlooked in larger classes and not receive much individualized instruction. Find out what the usual class size is for the welder schools you are looking at. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can observe how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, talk with several of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, talk with a couple of the teachers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.
Convenient Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Senatobia MS, make sure that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any because of illness, work or family circumstances.
Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Senatobia MS?
Perhaps you live in the Senatobia 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.
Senatobia, Mississippi
Senatobia is the home of Northwest Mississippi Community College, a state community college that provides two-year academic and technical degree programs. Northwest's system-wide enrollment exceeds 8,000 on three campuses in Senatobia, Southaven and Oxford. Also located in Senatobia is the Baddour Center, a residential care facility for intellectually disabled adults.
On April 13, 1834 early settler James Peters purchased two sections of land from the Chickasaw Nation for the sum of $1.25 per acre. This land was later developed as the town of Senatobia. The name Senatobia, given by Charles Meriweather, was derived from the Indian word Senatohoba, which means “White Sycamore”—a symbol of "rest for the weary."
Senatobia received its charter as a municipality in 1860. Tate County was organized in 1873, during the Reconstruction era. During the Civil War, the town's business section was burned twice by Federal troops.
Online Welder Training
Welding is truly a manual type of trade, and for that reason not very compatible with online training. However, there are some online welding classes offered by specific community colleges and trade schools in the greater Senatobia MS area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes mainly deal with such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a foundation to start their education and training. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be done online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that want to advance their expertise or possibly attain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely careful and verify that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Pick the Best Welding Trade School Senatobia MS
Choosing the best welding school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare among the programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any welder training that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides unique options for certification as well. Probably The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Senatobia MS.
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