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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Jonesboro AR

How to Pick a Welding Certification Course near Jonesboro Arkansas

Jonesboro AR welding school studentEnrolling in the ideal welding school near Jonesboro AR is an important first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you pick the best one? Most people start by looking at the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have located those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial considerations when evaluating welding trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s sensible to establish a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Degree and Certificate Training Classes

Jonesboro AR welder working on pipingThere are multiple alternatives available to receive training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can earn a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Below are short descriptions of the most common welding programs available in the Jonesboro AR.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally made available by trade and technical schools and require about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, created largely to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized 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 provides a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Many states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so be sure to find out for your location of future employment. As required, the welding school you select should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to providing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Choices

Jonesboro AR welder working on poleThere are several institutions that offer welding certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Jonesboro AR employers not only require a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available based upon the kind of work that the welder does. Just some of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

  • Operate in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with certain metal thicknesses
  • Work with certain types of welds
  • Work based on contract specifications

As earlier mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number also require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and make sure that the welding tech school you decide on preps you for certification if needed.

How to Decide on a Welder Technical School

Jonesboro AR welder working on carWhen you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous welding vocational and trade schools in the Jonesboro AR area. That’s why it’s important to determine up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously discussed a couple of important ones that many people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the school you decide on is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So below are some additional factors you might need to consider before choosing a welder vocational school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder technical school you decide on is accredited by either a national or a regional 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 single program the school offers, for example Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, the accreditation might also help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available in Jonesboro AR for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. Numerous welding diploma or degree programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Find out if the schools you are considering assist 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. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and establish relationships within the Jonesboro AR welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an instructional program and complete it. It’s important that the welder program you pick has a higher completion rate. A low rate could mean that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Jonesboro AR contacts to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. After you have decreased your choice of welder schools to two or three options, you should think out going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Confirm that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be using on the job. If you are unsure 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 Jonesboro AR welding contractor if they can give you a few pointers.

School Location. Although we previously briefly covered the significance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we need to cover. You should remember that unless you can move, the welding program you select needs to be within driving distance of your Jonesboro AR home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from 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. Furthermore, 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 needs to be in an area or state where you subsequently will want to work.

Small Classes. Individualized training is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in larger classes and not get much individualized training. Find out what the average class size is for the welding programs you are considering. Ask if you can attend some classes so that you can see just how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, speak with some of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, speak with a couple of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Convenient Class Scheduling. Many people learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Jonesboro AR, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only enroll part-time, make sure 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 due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Jonesboro AR?

Perhaps you live in the Jonesboro Arkansas 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.

Jonesboro, Arkansas

Jonesboro is a college town and the fifth-largest city in Arkansas. Located atop on Crowley's Ridge, Jonesboro is the first county seat of Craighead County and the home to Arkansas State University. According to the 2010 Census,[3] the city had a population of 71,551.

Jonesboro is the largest principal city in northeastern Arkansas and the Arkansas Delta included in the Jonesboro, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2010, the Jonesboro metropolitan area had a population of 121,026[4] and a population of 163,116 in the Jonesboro-Paragould Combined Statistical Area.[5]

The Jonesboro area was first inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. At the time of European encounter, historic tribes included the Osage, the Caddo, and the Quapaw.[6] The name of the state of Arkansas comes from the Quapaw language.[6] French and Spanish traders and trappers had relations with these groups.

Online Welding Courses

pipe welder at work in Jonesboro ARWelding is very much a manual type of profession, and therefore not extremely suitable for training online. However, there are a small number of online welding programs offered by specific community colleges and trade schools in the greater Jonesboro AR area that may be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These courses primarily cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to initiate their training and education. However, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be accomplished online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that desire to advance their knowledge or possibly earn a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree 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.

Select the Right Welding Trade Program Jonesboro AR

Picking the right welding school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare between the programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training program that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional welder in Jonesboro AR.

 

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