How to Select a Welding Training Program near Lovelock Nevada

Selecting the ideal welder trade school near Lovelock NV is an important first step to beginning your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you pick the right one? Many people begin by checking out the schools that are nearest to their residences. When they have located those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary concerns when evaluating welding technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors 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 wise 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 Programs

There are several alternatives available to receive training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can earn a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are short descriptions of the most typical welding programs available in the Lovelock NV.

• Certificate and Diploma Programs are normally made available by technical and trade schools and take about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned mainly 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 finish and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

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

Welder Certification Options

There are a number of institutions that offer welder certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Lovelock NV employers not only require a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based on the type of work that the welder does. Just some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

• Work in compliance with specific codes
• Work with specified metal thicknesses
• Work with certain kinds of welds
• Work based on contract specifications

As earlier mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many also require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a means to prove 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 verify that the welder tech school you select prepares you for certification if needed.

How to Decide on a Welding Vocational School

As soon as you have chosen the credential you would like to obtain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welder trade and vocational schools in the Lovelock NV area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already discussed a couple of important ones that most people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that should be looked at. After all, the program you decide on is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may want to consider before selecting a welder technical school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder vocational school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national 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 offers, for example 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 acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a superior education, the accreditation can also help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not offered in Lovelock NV for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welding degree or diploma programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Find out if the schools you are looking at assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools should 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 utilize for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and develop associations within the Lovelock NV welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that enroll in an instructional program and complete it. It’s essential that the welder school you select has a higher completion rate. A lower rate might signify 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 quality of training. A high job placement rate will not only verify that the program has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Lovelock NV employer relationships to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. After you have limited your selection of welder schools to 2 or 3 options, you should consider 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. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with on the job. 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. Otherwise, ask a local Lovelock NV welding professional if they can give you some suggestions.

School Location. Although we already briefly talked about the significance of location, there are a few additional issues that we should deal with. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welder school you select must be within commuting distance of your Lovelock NV home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, apart from moving costs there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement 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 subsequently will desire to work.

Small Classes. One-on-one training is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to get lost in bigger classes and not receive much personalized instruction. Ask what the average class size is for the welder schools you are considering. Ask if you can attend a few classes so that you can see how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with several of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, speak with some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Flexible Class Schedules. Some people learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Lovelock NV, make sure that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of illness, work or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Lovelock NV?

Perhaps you live in the Lovelock Nevada 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 truly a hands-on kind of trade, and therefore not very compatible with online training. Even so, there are some online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Lovelock NV area that may be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily cover such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a basis to initiate their training and education. Nevertheless, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be performed online. These skills need to 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 come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be very cautious and make certain that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Select the Right Welding Trade Program Lovelock NV

Selecting the right welding school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any welder school that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education should provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Lovelock NV.