How to Find the Right Welder Certification Class near White Lake Wisconsin
Choosing the right welder vocational school near White Lake WI is an important first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to pick from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you pick the best one? A number of people start by looking at the schools that are closest to their homes. Once they have found those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial concerns when examining 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 trade school to become a welder, it’s prudent to establish 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.
Welding Degree and Certificate Training Courses
There are a number of options to get training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can receive a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are short summaries of the most typical welding programs offered in the White Lake WI.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by technical and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed largely 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 usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still supplying the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
Some states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore be sure to find out for your location of future employment. As required, the welding school you choose should prep you for any licensing exams that you will have to pass in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.
Welder Certification Choices
There are multiple organizations that offer welding certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. A large number of White Lake WI employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are offered based upon the kind of work that the welder does. Just some of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to
- Operate in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specific metal thicknesses
- Work with various kinds of welds
- Perform based on contract specifications
As earlier mentioned, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and make sure that the welding technical school you select prepares you for certification as needed.
How to Select a Welding Vocational School
Once you have chosen the credential you want to obtain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to compare schools. As you probably know, there are many welder trade and vocational schools in the White Lake WI area. That’s why it’s necessary to determine up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already covered 2 important ones that most people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, 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 training that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So below are more factors you may need to consider before picking a welding technical school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder technical school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two basic kinds 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 instance 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 recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you get a quality education, the accreditation may also assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not offered in White Lake WI for schools that are not accredited. 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. A large number of welding certificate or degree programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Find out if the schools you are looking at help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools should have partnerships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can utilize for placements. These programs can help students find employment and develop relationships within the White Lake WI welding community.
Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that enroll in an educational program and finish it. It’s crucial that the welding school you choose has a higher completion rate. A low rate may signify that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy with the training, 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 confirm that the program has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of White Lake WI employer relationships to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.
Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have narrowed down your choice of welding schools to two or three options, you should consider going to the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Confirm that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are modern. 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 currently in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local White Lake WI welding contractor if they can give you some suggestions.
School Location. Even though we already briefly talked about the importance of location, there are a few additional issues that we should deal with. You should remember that unless you have the ability to move, the welder program you select needs to be within commuting distance of your White Lake WI 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 the case for welder diploma programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement program, often their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you ultimately will wish to work.
Smaller Classes. One-on-one instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in larger classes and not receive much one-on-one instruction. Ask what the typical class size is for the welding schools you are looking at. Inquire if you can attend some classes so that you can witness how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with some of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, speak with some of the teachers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.
Flexible Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new profession while still working at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near White Lake WI, confirm that the schools you are assessing provide those options. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see 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 White Lake WI?
Perhaps you live in the White Lake 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.
White Lake, Wisconsin
The name "White" was given to the lake by the Indians who hunted and fished in the area many years ago. It was so named because of the white sand and marl in the lake bottom. In 1876, pioneer Isaac Farrow attempted to drain White Lake and make a hay meadow out of the level bottom. He failed in this venture because he didn't realize the depth of the lake and the fact that it was fed by springs.[7]
The White Lake area lies south and west of a former terminus of the Wisconsin and Northern Railroad, Van Ostrand. Service began running between Shawano and Van Ostrand in late 1907. Settlement in the area began to show preference to the White Lake area over Van Ostrand, a process that was accelerated by the construction of a new lumber mill completed at the end of 1916. The Wisconsin Northern moved its depot from Van Ostrand to White Lake at approximately that time.[8] Van Ostrand was ultimately abandoned, while White Lake was incorporated as a village in 1926.[9]
White Lake is located at 45°9′24″N 88°45′56″W / 45.15667°N 88.76556°W / 45.15667; -88.76556 (45.156596, -88.765597),[10] in the eastern part of Langlade County about four miles west of the Wolf River and Wisconsin Highway 55. It is surrounded by the Town of Wolf River.
Online Welder Certificate and Degree Programs
Welding is very much a manual type of vocation, and consequently not extremely suitable for online training. However, there are some online welding classes offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater White Lake WI area that can count toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily deal with such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to initiate their training and education. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless 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 more appropriate for experienced welders that would like to advance their expertise or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely careful and make certain that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Find the Ideal Welding Technical School White Lake WI
Selecting the ideal welding training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom teaching should provide 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 determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every training program offers unique options for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in White Lake WI.
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