Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Virginia City NV

How to Select a Welder Certification Class near Virginia City Nevada

Virginia City NV welding school studentFinding the right welding technical school near Virginia City NV is an essential first step to starting 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 significantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you pick the right one? Many prospective students begin by looking at the schools that are nearest to their homes. When they have identified those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are important concerns when examining welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations 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 delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Degree and Certificate Training Classes

Virginia City NV welder working on pipingThere are a number of alternatives available to get training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma 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 made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief summaries of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Virginia City NV.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally made available by trade and technical schools and take about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, created primarily to teach 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 finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more extensive 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 be sure to check for your location of future employment. If required, the welding school you choose should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to supplying the appropriate training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Options

Virginia City NV welder working on poleThere are several organizations that offer welder certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Virginia City NV employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are available dependent on the kind of work that the welder performs. A few of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

  • Operate in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with certain metal thicknesses
  • Work with specific types of welds
  • Operate in compliance with contract specifications

As already stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many additionally require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an extremely skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and make sure that the welding trade school you decide on readies you for certification if needed.

How to Pick a Welding Technical Program

Virginia City NV welder working on carAfter you have decided on the credential you want to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are many welder trade and vocational schools in the Virginia City NV area. That’s why it’s important to determine in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already covered 2 significant ones that most people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the school you select is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may need to consider before selecting a welding tech school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welding vocational school you select is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are two basic types of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school has, for example Welding Technology. So make certain 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, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you obtain a quality education, the accreditation might also assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable in Virginia City NV for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welder degree or diploma programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools must have partnerships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop relationships within the Virginia City NV welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an instructional program and finish it. It’s crucial that the welder program you choose has a high completion rate. A lower rate could signify that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the training, 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 confirm that the program has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Virginia City NV contacts to assist students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have narrowed down your selection of welder schools to two or three options, you should think out visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Confirm that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. In particular, 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 currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Virginia City NV welding contractor if they can give you a few pointers.

School Location. Even though we already briefly talked about the importance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we should address. You should bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the welder program you pick needs to be within driving distance of your Virginia City NV home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welding diploma programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers 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 a region or state where you subsequently will wish to work.

Small Classes. Personalized instruction is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to get overlooked in bigger classes and not obtain much individualized training. Find out what the average class size is for the welder schools you are considering. Inquire if you can attend some classes so that you can see how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their opinions. Also, talk with some of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Convenient Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new profession while still employed at their present job. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Virginia City NV, verify that the schools you are assessing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any due to work, sickness or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Virginia City NV?

Perhaps you live in the Virginia City 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.

Virginia City, Nevada

Virginia City sprang up as a boomtown with the 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode, the first major silver deposit discovery in the United States, with numerous mines opening. At the city's peak of population in the mid-1870s, it had an estimated 25,000 residents. The mines' output declined after 1878, and the city itself declined as a result. As of the 2010 Census the population of Virginia City was about 855,[3] and that of Storey County 4,000.

Peter O'Riley and Patrick McLaughlin are credited with the discovery of the Comstock Lode.[4][5]Henry T. P. Comstock's name was associated with the discovery through his own machinations. According to folklore, James Fennimore, nicknamed Old Virginny Finney, christened the town when he tripped and broke a bottle of whiskey at a saloon entrance in the northern section of Gold Hill, soon to become Virginia City.[6]

In another story, the Ophir Diggings were named in honor of Finney as he was "one of the first discoverers of that mining locality, and one of the most successful prospectors in that region." Finney "was the best judge of placer ground in Gold Canyon," locating the quartz footwall of the Ophir on 22 February 1858, the placers on Little Gold Hill on 28 January 1859, and the placers below Ophir in 1857.[7]

Online Welder Degree and Certificate Programs

pipe welder at work in Virginia City NVWelding is truly a hands-on kind of trade, and therefore not very suitable for online training. However, there are some online welding classes offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Virginia City NV area that may be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These classes mainly cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to initiate their education and training. Nevertheless, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly 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 more appropriate for experienced welders that want to advance their expertise or possibly attain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and confirm that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Pick the Best Welding Vocational Program Virginia City NV

Selecting the best welding school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare among the programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any welding training program that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers unique options for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and instructors. 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 choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Virginia City NV.

 

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