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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Granada Hills CA

How to Choose a Welding Certification Program near Granada Hills California

Granada Hills CA welding school studentEnrolling in the ideal welding technical school near Granada Hills CA is an important first step to starting your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have narrowed down your alternatives, how do you pick the best one? Many prospective students start by looking at the schools that are nearest to their residences. When they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary concerns when reviewing welder vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s sensible to develop 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.

Welder Degree and Certificate Training

Granada Hills CA welder working on pipingThere are multiple 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 degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief explanations of the most common welding programs available in the Granada Hills CA.

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

Many municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so be sure to check for your location of future employment. As required, the welding school you pick should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will need to pass in addition to providing the suitable training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Options

Granada Hills CA welder working on poleThere are a number of institutions that offer welder certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Granada Hills CA employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available based on the kind of work that the welder does. A few of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As formerly mentioned, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, many also require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and verify that the welder tech school you decide on preps you for certification if needed.

How to Decide on a Welding Tech School

Granada Hills CA welder working on carAfter you have decided on the credential you would like to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you can imagine, there are a large number of welder vocational and trade schools in the Granada Hills CA area. That’s why it’s important to determine in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already covered a couple of significant ones that most 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 looked at. After all, the program you decide on is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are more factors you may need to consider before selecting a welder technical school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welding tech school you pick is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 standard types of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school offers, for example Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you choose 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 receive a quality education, the accreditation can also assist in getting financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable in Granada Hills CA for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. A large number of welding degree or diploma programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools must have partnerships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. More established schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and establish associations within the Granada Hills CA welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an educational program and complete it. It’s important that the welding school you choose has a high completion rate. A reduced rate might mean that the students who enrolled in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also an indication of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Granada Hills CA employer relationships to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. After you have narrowed down your choice of welding programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with in the field. If you are not sure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Granada Hills CA welding contractor if they can give you some pointers.

School Location. Although we already briefly talked about the importance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should cover. You should remember that unless you are able to move, the welder school you choose needs to be within driving distance of your Granada Hills CA home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from moving costs there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, often 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 want to work.

Smaller Classes. One-on-one instruction is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to get lost in larger classes and not obtain much one-on-one training. Find out what the usual class size is for the welding programs you are looking at. Ask if you can attend a few classes so that you can see just how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, chat with some of the teachers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Flexible Class Schedules. Many people learn a new profession while still working at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Granada Hills CA, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer those alternatives. If you can only enroll part-time, verify that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Granada Hills CA?

Perhaps you live in the Granada Hills California 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.

Granada Hills, Los Angeles

The community began as dairy farm and orchard known as the Sunshine Ranch which grew apricots, oranges, walnuts and beans. Vestiges of former citrus groves can still be seen in orange, lemon or grapefruit trees in many residential yards. In 1916, the San Fernando Valley's first oil well was drilled in what is now Granada Hills. The oil well was located at the northern tip of Zelzah Avenue. Granada Hills was founded in 1926 as "Granada;" the "Hills" portion of the name was added 15 years later.

Granada Hills is located at the foothills of the Santa Susana Mountains, north of North Hills, Northridge, west of Mission Hills and Sylmar, and east of the Porter Ranch neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The Ronald Reagan Freeway–Route 118 runs through its southern area.

The 2000 U.S. census counted 50,535 residents in the 15.11-square neighborhood—or 3,344 people per square mile. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 53,998. In 2000 the median age for residents was 37,[3]

Online Welder Training

pipe welder at work in Granada Hills CAWelding is truly a hands-on kind of trade, and consequently not extremely compatible with training online. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding programs offered by various community colleges and trade schools in the greater Granada Hills CA area that can count toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to begin their education and training. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be accomplished online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for experienced welders that desire to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be very careful and confirm that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Pick the Ideal Welding Trade Program Granada Hills CA

Selecting the ideal welder school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare among the programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any welding school that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides different options for certification also. Probably The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Granada Hills CA.

 

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