How to Select a Welder Training Class near Ware Shoals South Carolina

Finding the ideal welder trade school near Ware Shoals SC is an essential first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to select from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you select the right one? Most people start by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have found those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary issues when reviewing welder vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before beginning your search for a trade 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 Training

There are a number of options available to receive training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can receive a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, 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 explanations of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Ware Shoals SC.

• Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by technical and trade schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned mainly to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional 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 provides a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Some municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore make sure to find out for your location of future employment. As needed, the welder school you pick should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Choices

There are a number of organizations that provide welder certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Ware Shoals SC employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered based on the kind of work that the welder performs. Some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

• Operate in compliance with specific codes
• Work with specified metal thicknesses
• Work with various kinds of welds
• Work in compliance with contract specifications

As previously mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number also require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and make certain that the welder trade school you choose readies you for certification as needed.

How to Pick a Welder Vocational School

Once you have chosen the credential you want to obtain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you probably know, there are a large number of welding vocational and trade schools in the Ware Shoals SC area. That’s why it’s essential to establish up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered two important ones that many people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the school you pick is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may need to consider before choosing a welding technical school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welding tech school you decide on is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 basic kinds of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school offers, such as Welding Technology. So verify that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, the accreditation can also assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable in Ware Shoals SC for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. A large number of welder diploma or degree programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are looking at help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These 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 larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can help students find employment and establish relationships within the Ware Shoals SC welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an instructional program and complete it. It’s essential that the welding program you select has a high completion rate. A lower rate may signify that the students who enrolled in the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the instructors, or the facilities, and dropped out. 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 school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Ware Shoals SC employer relationships to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. After you have narrowed down your choice of welder programs to two or three possibilities, you should consider going to the campuses to inspect their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be taught on are modern. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with on the job. If you are not sure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Ware Shoals SC welding contractor if they can give you some tips.

School Location. Even though we already briefly discussed the importance of location, there are a few additional points that we need to deal with. You should remember that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welding program you pick must be within driving distance of your Ware Shoals SC home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides moving costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welding diploma 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 regional community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you subsequently will desire to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized training is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get lost 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 considering. Inquire if you can attend some classes so that you can experience 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 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. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Ware Shoals SC, verify that the schools you are looking at offer those options. If you can only enroll part-time, make certain 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 because of illness, work or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Ware Shoals SC?

Perhaps you live in the Ware Shoals South Carolina 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 Schools

Welding is very much a hands-on kind of trade, and consequently not very compatible with online training. Even so, there are some online welding classes offered by specific community colleges and trade schools in the greater Ware Shoals SC area that may be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to start their education and training. Nevertheless, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless you actually do it. Clearly 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 seasoned welders that desire to advance their knowledge or perhaps obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely cautious and make sure that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Choose the Right Welding Tech School Ware Shoals SC

Choosing the right welding training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare among the programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any welder school that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour 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 result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Ware Shoals SC.