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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Dos Palos CA

How to Enroll In a Welding Degree Program near Dos Palos California

Dos Palos CA welding school studentLocating the right welding school near Dos Palos CA is an important first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to pick from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you select the best one? A number of people start by checking out the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have identified those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are important considerations when reviewing welding trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors 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 sensible to establish a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Certificate and Degree Training Programs

Dos Palos CA welder working on pipingThere are several options available to receive training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can earn a diploma, a certificate 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 offered along with an apprenticeship program. Following are short summaries of the most prevalent welding programs offered in the Dos Palos CA.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by technical and trade schools and take about 1 year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, created mainly to teach welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional skills for working welders.
  • Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to finish 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 readies students to enter the workforce.

Some states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so be sure to find out for your location of future employment. As required, the welder school you select should prep you for any licensing exams that you will need to take in addition to supplying the appropriate training to become a professional welder.

Welding Certification Choices

Dos Palos CA welder working on poleThere are a number of organizations that provide welder certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Dos Palos CA employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based 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 certain metal thicknesses
  • Work with certain kinds 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, many also require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and verify that the welder tech school you decide on readies you for certification as needed.

How to Decide on a Welding Vocational Program

Dos Palos CA welder working on carOnce you have chosen the credential you want to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to compare schools. As you probably know, there are many welder trade and technical schools in the Dos Palos CA area. That’s why it’s important to determine in advance what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have already discussed two significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the school you pick is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are some additional factors you may want to consider before selecting a welding trade school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding tech school you decide on is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are 2 standard 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 has, for example Welding Technology. So verify that the program you select is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, 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). In addition to helping make sure that you get a quality education, the accreditation can also assist in getting financial aid or student loans, which are often not available in Dos Palos CA for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welding degree or certificate programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will assist in placing 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 placement program. These schools should have partnerships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for placements. These programs can help students find employment and develop relationships within the Dos Palos CA welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an academic program and finish it. It’s essential that the welding school you pick has a higher completion rate. A lower rate may mean that the students who joined 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 high job placement rate will not only affirm that the program has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Dos Palos CA employer relationships to assist students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have limited your choice of welding schools to 2 or 3 options, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Confirm that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be taught on are modern. In particular, 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, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Dos Palos CA welding professional if they can give you a few tips.

School Location. Although we already briefly talked about the relevance of location, there are a few additional issues that we should address. You should bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the welder school you choose needs to be within driving distance of your Dos Palos CA home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welder diploma programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement program, often their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school needs to be in an area or state where you subsequently will wish to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized training is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in bigger classes and not obtain much one-on-one instruction. Ask what the usual class size is for the welding schools you are considering. Ask if you can attend some classes so that you can witness just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with several of the students and get their evaluations. Also, chat with a few of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Flexible Class Schedules. Some people learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Dos Palos CA, verify that the schools you are assessing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Dos Palos CA?

Perhaps you live in the Dos Palos 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.

Dos Palos, California

Dos Palos (formerly, Colony Center)[6] is a city in Merced County, California, United States. Dos Palos is located 23 miles (37 km) south-southwest of Merced,[6] at an elevation of 118 feet (36 m).[3] The population was 4,950 at the 2010 census, up from 4,581 at the 2000 census.

In one of his expeditions (1820's) along the westside of the San Joaquin Valley, explorer Gabriel Moraga reported the location of two large isolated poplar trees, which he called "Dos Palos." In 19th Century Spanish usage, "palos" was used to describe tall pole-like trees or "timbers".[7] 21st century usage often translates it as "sticks." The "Rancho Sanjon de Santa Rita" Mexican Land Grant cites "Los Dos Palos" or "The Two Trees" as a boundary marker. In 1891, former school superintendent Bernhard Marks convinced cattle ranch king Henry Miller to develop a small town nearby. They gave it the name "Dos Palos Colony" but pronounced it with their Alsatian German accent as "Dahce Palace." This pronunciation remained for over one hundred years until a recent Spanish pronunciation revival. Marks brought forty pioneer families west from Iowa and Nebraska to establish the community. In 1892, unable to find good water, many of the settlers left. Marks convinced Miller to establish another town two miles away on land unsuitable for farming and ranching due to swamps and unsettling soils. Some of the settlers relocated. This new town was named Colony Center, California. In 1906, Dos Palos Colony was renamed South Dos Palos and Colony Center was renamed Dos Palos. The Post Office was briefly misspelled as one word, "Dospalos" but this was changed within a year. About a dozen of the colony's original families still reside locally. Through the years, people from many other locations joined the community.[8] Dos Palos incorporated in 1935.[6]

The 2010 United States Census[10] reported that Dos Palos had a population of 4,950. The population density was 3,667.3 people per square mile (1,416.0/km²). The racial makeup of Dos Palos was 3,377 (68.2%) White, 167 (3.4%) African American, 62 (1.3%) Native American, 37 (0.7%) Asian, 4 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 1,075 (21.7%) from other races, and 228 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,075 persons (62.1%).

Online Welder Certificate and Degree Programs

pipe welder at work in Dos Palos CAWelding is truly a manual kind of trade, and consequently not extremely suitable for online training. Even so, there are a few online welding classes offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Dos Palos CA area that can count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to begin their education and training. Nevertheless, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be performed 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 want to advance their knowledge or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and make sure that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Select the Ideal Welding Trade School Dos Palos CA

Picking the ideal welder school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any welder training program that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training 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 training program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Dos Palos CA.

 

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