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

How to Enroll In a Welder Trade School near Greenbrier Arkansas

Greenbrier AR welding school studentSelecting the ideal welder school near Greenbrier AR is an important first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you select the right one? Many people begin by reviewing the schools that are closest to their residences. Once they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are important issues when evaluating welder vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors 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 wise 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.

Welding Degree and Certificate Training Courses

Greenbrier AR welder working on pipingThere are a number of alternatives available 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 courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available along with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief descriptions of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Greenbrier AR.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are normally offered by technical and trade schools and require about 1 year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, created primarily to develop 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 two 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 furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Some municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore don’t forget to check for your location of future employment. If required, the welder school you pick should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will have to pass in addition to furnishing the proper training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

Greenbrier AR welder working on poleThere are multiple institutions that offer welder certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Greenbrier AR employers not only require a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available based upon the kind of work that the welder performs. 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 specific types of welds
  • Perform in compliance with contract specifications

As already stated, some states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, some additionally require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an extremely skilled and knowledgeable welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and verify that the welder tech school you select readies you for certification if needed.

How to Pick a Welder Trade School

Greenbrier AR welder working on carOnce you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welding trade and technical schools in the Greenbrier AR area. That’s why it’s essential to determine in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already covered a couple of significant ones that many people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the program you decide on is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are more factors you may need to consider before choosing a welder tech school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder vocational school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are two standard kinds of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school has, for instance Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you select is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you receive a quality education, the accreditation might also assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Greenbrier AR for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. A large number of welder diploma or degree programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools must 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 relationships within the Greenbrier AR welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an academic program and complete it. It’s essential that the welder school you select has a high completion rate. A low rate may indicate that the students who were in the program were unhappy 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 high 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 Greenbrier AR contacts to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have narrowed down your choice of welder schools to two or three possibilities, you should consider visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Make sure 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 using on the job. 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. Otherwise, ask a local Greenbrier AR welding contractor if they can give you some tips.

School Location. Although we already briefly covered the significance of location, there are a few additional points that we need to cover. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welding school you select needs to be within commuting distance of your Greenbrier AR home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welding certificate programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement program, often their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you subsequently will want to work.

Small Classes. Personalized instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to be lost in larger classes and not obtain much one-on-one instruction. Ask what the average class size is for the welding schools you are considering. Inquire if you can attend some classes so that you can observe how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, speak with several of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, talk with some of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Many people learn a new profession while still working at their current job. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Greenbrier AR, verify that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify 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 due to work, illness or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Greenbrier AR?

Perhaps you live in the Greenbrier 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.

The Greenbrier

Since 1778, visitors have traveled to this part of the state to "take the waters" of the area. Today, The Greenbrier is situated on 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) of land with 710 guest rooms, 20 restaurants and lounges, more than 55 indoor and outdoor activities and sports, and 36 retail shops.[3]

The current Greenbrier was built in 1913 by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and was owned for much of its history by that company and its successors, including the CSX Corporation. Following years of heavy losses, CSX placed the hotel into bankruptcy in 2009. Justice Family Group, LLC, a company owned by local entrepreneur Jim Justice, subsequently bought the property and guaranteed all debts, resulting in dismissal of the bankruptcy. Justice promised to return the hotel to its former status as a five-star resort and to introduce "tasteful" gambling for guests to increase profit. The Greenbrier Hotel Corp. today operates as a subsidiary of Justice's company.[4][5]

The Greenbrier is also the site of a massive underground bunker that was meant to serve as an emergency shelter for the United States Congress during the Cold War.[6][7][8][9][10] The bunker was code named "Project Greek Island," and Fritz Bugas was the former onsite superintendent.[11][12][13]

Online Welder Classes

pipe welder at work in Greenbrier ARWelding is very much a hands-on kind of profession, and therefore not extremely compatible with online training. Even so, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by specific community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Greenbrier AR area that may count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses primarily deal with such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice 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 better suited for experienced welders that would like to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely careful and make certain that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Pick the Ideal Welding Tech Program Greenbrier AR

Picking the ideal welder training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training program that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on 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 Greenbrier AR.

 

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