Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Union MS

How to Choose a Welding Trade School near Union Mississippi

Union MS welding school studentSelecting the ideal welding school near Union MS is an important first step to starting your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you pick the right one? A number of prospective students begin by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have found those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations when examining 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 sensible 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.

Welder Certificate and Degree Training Programs

Union MS welder working on pipingThere are several alternatives available to obtain training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can earn a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered 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. Below are short explanations of the most typical welding programs offered in the Union MS.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by technical and trade schools and require about 1 year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned primarily to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized skills for experienced welders.
  • Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to complete and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

A number of states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, so don’t forget to find out for your location of potential employment. As needed, the welding school you choose should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to supplying the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Options

Union MS welder working on poleThere are various organizations that provide welding certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Union MS employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are available based on the type of work that the welder does. A few of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As previously mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number also require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are a highly skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and confirm that the welding tech school you select preps you for certification if needed.

How to Decide on a Welder Trade Program

Union MS welder working on carWhen you have chosen the credential you want to attain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to compare schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welder vocational and trade schools in the Union MS area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously discussed two significant ones that many people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the program you choose is going to provide the education that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are more factors you might need to consider before selecting a welder tech school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder technical school you decide on is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are two standard kinds of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you obtain a superior education, the accreditation might also help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable in Union MS for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welding degree or diploma programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place 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 placement program. The schools must have relationships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can utilize for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop associations within the Union MS welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that enroll in an academic program and complete it. It’s important that the welder program you select has a higher completion rate. A lower rate may signify that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only affirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Union MS employer relationships to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. After you have narrowed down your choice of welder programs to two or three options, you should consider going to the campuses to inspect their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be taught on are modern. In particular, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with on the job. 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. Otherwise, ask a local Union MS welding professional if they can give you some suggestions.

School Location. Although we previously briefly covered the importance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to deal with. You should keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the welding school you pick needs to be within driving distance of your Union MS home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Also, 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 needs to be in a region or state where you ultimately will wish to work.

Smaller Classes. Individualized instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get overlooked in bigger classes and not obtain much one-on-one instruction. Find out what the usual class size is for the welder schools you are reviewing. Inquire if you can sit in on some classes so that you can observe just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with several of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, talk to a few of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.

Convenient Class Schedules. Many people learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Union MS, make certain that the schools you are considering provide those options. 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 illness, work or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Union MS?

Perhaps you live in the Union 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.

Union, Mississippi

Union is located at 32°34′17″N 89°7′5″W / 32.57139°N 89.11806°W / 32.57139; -89.11806 (32.571320, -89.118118).[2] Most of the town is in Newton County with a portion extending north into adjacent Neshoba County.[3] In the 2000 census, 1,496 of the town's 2,021 residents (74.0%) lived in Newton County and 525 (26.0%) in Neshoba County.[4]

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 2,021 people, 780 households, and 509 families residing in the town. The population density was 589.0 people per square mile (227.5/km²). There were 884 housing units at an average density of 257.6 per square mile (99.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 62.84% White, 35.53% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.

There were 780 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.12.

Online Welding Training

pipe welder at work in Union MSWelding is very much a manual type of vocation, and therefore not extremely compatible with online training. Even so, there are a few online welding classes offered by various community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Union MS area that can count toward a degree or certificate program. These classes mainly deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to initiate their training and education. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be accomplished online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for seasoned welders that desire to advance their knowledge or perhaps obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely cautious and verify that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Pick the Best Welding Vocational School Union MS

Selecting the right welder training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare among the programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Union MS.

 

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