How to Find the Right Welding Trade School near Tupelo Mississippi

Enrolling in the ideal welder vocational school near Tupelo 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 significantly, once you have narrowed down your choices, how do you pick the best one? Many prospective students start by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their homes. Once they have found those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary issues when evaluating welder vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s prudent to develop a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Certificate and Degree Programs

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

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by technical and trade schools and take about 1 year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed largely to teach 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 offers a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still supplying the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

A number of states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore make sure to check for your location of potential employment. As required, the welder school you choose should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will have to take in addition to furnishing the suitable training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

There are multiple institutions that provide welding certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Tupelo MS employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available based on the kind of work that the welder performs. Just some of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As formerly stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many additionally require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and confirm that the welding trade school you choose readies you for certification as needed.

How to Choose a Welding Trade School

After you have decided on the credential you would like to earn, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to compare schools. As you probably know, there are many welding trade and technical schools in the Tupelo MS area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered 2 significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the program you select 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 consider before selecting a welding tech school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welding tech school you choose is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are 2 basic types of accreditation. The school may attain 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 select is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you receive a quality education, the accreditation may also help in getting financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not offered in Tupelo MS for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Many welding certificate or degree programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools must have associations with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and develop associations within the Tupelo MS welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that enroll in an instructional program and finish it. It’s essential that the welder program you select has a high completion rate. A reduced rate could mean that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. 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 a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Tupelo MS employer relationships to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have limited your selection of welding schools to two or three possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be using on the job. If you are uncertain what to look for, and are currently in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Tupelo MS welding contractor if they can give you a few suggestions.

School Location. Even though we already briefly discussed the significance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we need to address. You should remember that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welder program you select must be within driving distance of your Tupelo MS home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement 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 ultimately will desire to work.

Small Classes. Personalized instruction is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in larger classes and not get much personalized instruction. Find out what the average class size is for the welding schools you are considering. Inquire if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can experience how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, speak with some of the students and get their feedback. Also, speak with a few of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Convenient Class Scheduling. Many people learn a new trade while still employed at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Tupelo MS, confirm that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only enroll part-time, verify that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Tupelo MS?

Perhaps you live in the Tupelo 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 Training

Welding is very much a hands-on kind of trade, and consequently not very suitable for training online. However, there are a few online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Tupelo MS area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily deal with such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a foundation to start their training and education. 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 need to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for experienced welders that desire to advance their knowledge or possibly attain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely cautious and make sure that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Choose the Best Welding Technical School Tupelo MS

Picking the right welding training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welding school that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom education should provide a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every program provides different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional welder in Tupelo MS.