How to Pick a Welding Trade School near Westfield Wisconsin
Choosing the ideal welder school near Westfield WI is an essential first step to starting 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 notably, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you select the right one? Most people begin by looking at the schools that are nearest to their homes. Once they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations when reviewing welding trade 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 vocational 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 talk a little bit about how to become a welder.
Welding Degree and Certificate Training
There are several options available to obtain 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 available in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are short summaries of the most typical welding programs offered in the Westfield WI.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally made available by technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, created primarily to develop 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 two years to complete 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.
Many states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore don’t forget to check for your location of potential employment. As required, the welding school you select should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will have to pass in addition to supplying the appropriate training to become a professional welder.
Welding Certification Choices
There are several institutions that offer welding certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Westfield WI employers not only expect a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based on the kind of work that the welder performs. Some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Work in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specific metal thicknesses
- Work with various types of welds
- Operate based on contract specifications
As previously stated, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and make certain that the welder technical school you decide on readies you for certification as needed.
How to Decide on a Welding Tech Program
Once you have chosen the credential you want to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to evaluate schools. As you can imagine, there are many welding trade and vocational schools in the Westfield WI area. That’s why it’s essential to establish up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have previously discussed 2 significant ones that many people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that should be looked at. After all, the program you select is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are more factors you may want to evaluate before choosing a welding vocational school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding tech school you pick is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are 2 basic types of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school offers, 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 agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping ensure that you receive a quality education, the accreditation may also help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not offered in Westfield WI for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.
Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Numerous welding degree or diploma programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools should have associations with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop associations within the Westfield WI welding community.
Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an instructional program and complete it. It’s essential that the welding program you select has a high completion rate. A low rate could indicate that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Westfield WI employer relationships to help students secure employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.
Modern Equipment and Facilities. After you have narrowed down your selection of welder programs to two or three options, you should think out going to the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be taught 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 not sure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Westfield WI welding contractor if they can give you a few pointers.
School Location. Even though we already briefly covered the importance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should deal with. You should bear in mind that unless you have the ability to move, the welder school you pick must be within driving distance of your Westfield WI home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, often their placements are within the school’s local 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 training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in larger classes and not receive much one-on-one training. Find out what the typical class size is for the welder programs you are looking at. Inquire if you can attend a few classes so that you can witness how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, speak with several of the students and get their evaluations. Also, speak with some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.
Convenient Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new profession while still working at their present job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Westfield WI, make certain that the schools you are considering provide those alternatives. 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 because of work, sickness or family emergencies.
Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Westfield WI?
Perhaps you live in the Westfield Wisconsin 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.
Westfield, Wisconsin
Westfield is a village in Marquette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,254 at the 2010 census. The village is located mostly within the Town of Westfield. A small portion extends east into the adjacent Town of Harris.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.59 square miles (4.12 km2), of which, 1.56 square miles (4.04 km2) of it is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2) is water.[1]
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,254 people, 523 households, and 321 families residing in the village. The population density was 803.8 inhabitants per square mile (310.3/km2). There were 578 housing units at an average density of 370.5 per square mile (143.1/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 96.4% White, 0.3% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.7% of the population.
Online Welding Certificate and Degree Programs
Welding is very much a manual kind of profession, and consequently not very suitable for training online. Even so, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Westfield WI area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily deal with such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to initiate their education and training. Nevertheless, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be accomplished online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that desire to advance their knowledge or possibly attain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely careful and confirm that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Choose the Best Welding Trade School Westfield WI
Picking the best welding school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any welding training program that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. 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, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Westfield WI.
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