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

How to Find the Right Welder Technical School near Union West Virginia

Union WV welding school studentFinding the ideal welder school near Union WV is an important first step to beginning your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to select from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you select the best one? A number of prospective students start by looking at the schools that are nearest to their residences. When they have found those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary concerns when reviewing welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns 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 wise to create a list of qualifications that your selected 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 Certificate and Degree Training Courses

Union WV welder working on pipingThere are multiple options available to get training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can receive 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 combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are short explanations of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Union WV.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by trade and technical schools and take about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, designed primarily to develop welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental skills for working welders.
  • Associate Degree Programs will take two years to complete and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still furnishing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Many states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so make sure to check for your location of future employment. As needed, the welding school you select should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will have to take in addition to providing the proper training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Options

Union WV welder working on poleThere are multiple institutions that offer welding certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Union WV employers not only expect a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered dependent on the kind of work that the welder does. Some of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As already stated, various states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number additionally require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are a highly skilled and knowledgeable welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and confirm that the welding trade school you select preps you for certification if needed.

How to Choose a Welding Vocational Program

Union WV welder working on carAfter you have decided on the credential you want to obtain, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to assess schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous welder vocational and trade schools in the Union WV area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered a couple of significant ones that many people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the school you decide on is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may need to evaluate before picking a welder trade school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder trade school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are two standard kinds of accreditation. The school may earn 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 select is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you receive a superior education, the accreditation might also assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable in Union WV for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. A large number of welder degree or diploma programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools must have associations with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. Older schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and develop relationships within the Union WV welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that enroll in an educational program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welder program you choose has a high completion rate. A reduced rate might signify that the students who enrolled in the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Union WV contacts to assist students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. After you have limited your selection of welding programs to 2 or 3 options, you should consider visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be taught on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with in the field. 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. If not, ask a local Union WV welding professional if they can give you a few pointers.

School Location. Although we previously briefly discussed the significance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we need to cover. You should remember that unless you can relocate, the welder program you pick needs to be within commuting distance of your Union WV home. If you do choose to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welder diploma programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, most 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 desire to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to be overlooked in larger classes and not obtain much individualized training. Find out what the typical class size is for the welder programs you are reviewing. Inquire if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can experience how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, speak with some of the students and get their feedback. Also, talk with a few of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Convenient Class Scheduling. Lots of folks 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 go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Union WV, make certain that the schools you are assessing provide those alternatives. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any because of illness, work or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Union WV?

Perhaps you live in the Union West Virginia 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 Union, West Virginia

West Union, incorporated July 20, 1881, is a town in Doddridge County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 825 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Doddridge County.[6] The mayor is Joseph Thorpe as of 2013. The town is located along Middle Island Creek at the junction of U.S. Route 50 and West Virginia Route 18; the North Bend Rail Trail also passes through the town.[7]

The area was first settled in the late 1780s by James Caldwell, who owned 20,000 acres (81 km2) of land that included present West Union. Caldwell sold this land to Nathan Davis, Jr (1772-1866) and his brothers about 1807. They in turn sold 16,000 acres (65 km2) to Lewis Maxwell (1790-1862), a Virginia congressman.

The settlement was originally called Lewisport,[8] but Davis later supposedly suggested the name of "West Union", in deference to a proposed town of Union to be built on the eastern side of Middle Island Creek. (Union has disappeared, if it ever existed.) According to an early resident, A.A. Bee: "The first bridge across Middle Island Creek [at West Union] was of hewed logs with a center abutment of stones. In the great flood of 1835 it was washed away". In 1842, a contract was awarded to the well-known civil engineer Claudius Crozet to build a new covered bridge at West Union, as part of a series of public works along the Northwestern Turnpike. Ephraim Bee (1802–1888), a local blacksmith (who was also a district officer, magistrate, state legislator, hotelier, and postmaster at various times) made all the bolts and bands for the West Union Covered Bridge which was completed in 1843.

Online Welder Classes

pipe welder at work in Union WVWelding is truly a manual kind of vocation, and therefore not very suitable for online training. Having said that, there are a few online welding programs offered by various community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Union WV area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses primarily cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to start their training and education. Nevertheless, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials until you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be performed online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that desire to advance their expertise or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and verify that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Find the Ideal Welding Vocational Program Union WV

Selecting the right welder school will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any welder school that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional welder in Union WV.

 

The location could not be found.

 

Business Results 1 - 10 of 0