How to Select a Welder Technical School near West Point Mississippi
Finding the right welder school near West Point MS is an essential first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you pick the right one? Most people start by looking at the schools that are closest to their residences. Once they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and tuition cost are crucial 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 trade school to become a welder, it’s prudent to establish 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.
Welding Degree and Certificate Programs
There are several options to receive training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can receive a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered along with an apprenticeship program. Below are short summaries of the most typical welding programs offered in the West Point MS.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, created largely to develop welding skills. They can provide 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 usually 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 prepares students to enter the workforce.
A number of states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore don’t forget to check for your location of potential employment. As needed, the welding school you pick should prep you for any licensing exams that you will need to take in addition to providing the proper training to become a qualified welder.
Welding Certification Options
There are various institutions that provide welding certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of West Point MS employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available dependent on the kind of work that the welder does. Some of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to
- Operate in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specific metal thicknesses
- Work with certain kinds of welds
- Perform in compliance with contract specifications
As formerly mentioned, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number additionally require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are a highly skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and verify that the welder technical school you select prepares you for certification if needed.
How to Pick a Welder Tech School
As soon as you have chosen the credential you would like to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to compare schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous welding vocational and trade schools in the West Point MS area. That’s why it’s essential to decide up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered a couple of significant ones that most 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 looked at. After all, the school you choose 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 may need to evaluate before picking a welding trade school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding technical school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are 2 standard kinds of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a single program the school offers, for example Welding Technology. So verify that the program you choose 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). Besides helping make sure that you get a superior education, the accreditation may also assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not offered in West Point MS for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.
Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous welding degree or certificate programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools should have relationships 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 placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish relationships within the West Point MS welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that enroll in an educational program and finish it. It’s essential that the welding school you select has a high completion rate. A low rate could indicate that the students who were in the program were unhappy with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of West Point MS employer relationships to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.
Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. After you have decreased your selection of welding schools to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should think out visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with in the field. If you are uncertain what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local West Point MS welding professional if they can give you some tips.
School Location. Even though we already briefly covered the significance of location, there are a few additional issues that we should deal with. You should remember that unless you are able to relocate, the welding school you select needs to be within commuting distance of your West Point MS home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welding certificate programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides 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 an area or state where you subsequently will want to work.
Smaller Classes. One-on-one instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in bigger classes and not get much personalized instruction. Ask what the average class size is for the welding programs you are considering. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can observe how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, talk with a couple of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.
Flexible Class Schedules. Some people learn a new trade while still employed at their present job. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near West Point MS, verify that the schools you are assessing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select 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 responsibilities.
Will You Be Attending Welding School Near West Point MS?
Perhaps you live in the West Point 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.
West Point, Mississippi
West Point is a city in Clay County, Mississippi, in the Golden Triangle region of the state. The population was 11,307 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Clay County[3] and the principal city of the West Point Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Columbus-West Point Combined Statistical Area.
West Point, MS is located in the North East section of Mississippi just across the Alabama state line. West Point has a rich heritage with generations of family lineage calling it home. Historically the area has a blend of African American, White and Native American lineage. The city has many social activities sponsored by church and civic organizations.
As of the census[4] of 2010, there were 11,307 people 4,444 households, and 3,043 families residing in the city. The population density was 535.13 people per square mile (225.3/km²). There were 4,856 housing units at an average density of 235.3 per square mile (90.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 40.6% White, 56.9% African American, 0.01% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 0.9% of the population. There were 3,043 households out of which 22.2% had own children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.1% were married couples living together, 28.4% had a female householder with no husband present, male household no wife present 4.9% and 31.5% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 28.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 20 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.4 years. The population was 53.7% female and 46.3% male. The median income for a household in the city was $30,440, and the median income for a family was $39,295. The per capita income for the city was $17,675. About 23.4% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.8% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those people age 65 or over.
Online Welding Classes
Welding is truly a hands-on kind of vocation, and for that reason not extremely suitable for online training. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater West Point MS area that may be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These classes mainly deal with such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to start their education and training. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials until you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be performed online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that want to advance their expertise or possibly earn a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and make certain that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Pick the Ideal Welding Tech School West Point MS
Choosing the right welding training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any welding school that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional welder in West Point MS.
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