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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Westcliffe CO

How to Enroll In a Welder Certification Course near Westcliffe Colorado

Westcliffe CO welding school studentSelecting the right welder trade school near Westcliffe CO is an essential first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have narrowed down your alternatives, how do you pick the right one? Most people begin by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary concerns when examining welder technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations 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 wise to establish a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Degree and Certificate Training Classes

Westcliffe CO welder working on pipingThere are multiple options to obtain 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 Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Below are short descriptions of the most common welding programs offered in the Westcliffe CO.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally made available by technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, designed primarily to teach welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional skills for experienced welders.
  • Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to complete and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Some municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore make sure to check for your location of future employment. As required, the welder school you pick should ready you for any licensing exams that you will have to take in addition to providing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Alternatives

Westcliffe CO welder working on poleThere are several organizations that offer welding certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Westcliffe CO employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of 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

  • Work in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with specified metal thicknesses
  • Work with specific kinds of welds
  • Perform based on contract specifications

As earlier mentioned, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and qualified welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and verify that the welder technical school you choose preps you for certification as needed.

How to Pick a Welding Tech Program

Westcliffe CO welder working on carWhen you have decided on the credential you would like to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to compare schools. As you probably know, there are many welding trade and technical schools in the Westcliffe CO area. That’s why it’s essential to establish up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have previously covered two significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the program you decide on is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are more factors you may need to consider before choosing a welder trade school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welding tech school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 basic kinds of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So verify that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you receive an excellent education, the accreditation may also assist in getting financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable in Westcliffe CO for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. Numerous welding degree or diploma programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools should have associations with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish associations within the Westcliffe CO welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an academic program and complete it. It’s essential that the welding program you pick has a higher completion rate. A low rate may signify that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy with the instruction, the instructors, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the program has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Westcliffe CO employer relationships to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have limited your selection of welding schools to two or three options, you should consider visiting the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment 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 currently in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Westcliffe CO welding professional if they can give you a few pointers.

School Location. Although we already briefly talked about the relevance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to deal with. You should bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the welder program you select must be within commuting distance of your Westcliffe CO home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welder diploma programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers 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 subsequently will want to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized instruction is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to be overlooked in bigger classes and not obtain much one-on-one instruction. Ask what the average class size is for the welding schools you are looking at. Ask if you can attend some classes so that you can observe how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their evaluations. Also, speak with some of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still working at their present job. Check to see that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Westcliffe CO, make certain that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Westcliffe CO?

Perhaps you live in the Westcliffe Colorado 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.

Westcliffe, Colorado

Westcliffe is located west of the geographic center of Custer County at 38°7′58″N 105°27′57″W / 38.13278°N 105.46583°W / 38.13278; -105.46583 (38.132874, -105.465920).[12] It lies in the Wet Mountain Valley, between the Wet Mountains to the east and the Sangre de Cristo Range to the west. The town of Silver Cliff is immediately to the east of Westcliffe.

Westcliffe, and neighboring Silver Cliff, Colorado are recognized as IDA International Dark Sky Communities by The International Dark-Sky Association. Gentle persuasion has resulted in residents and business in the towns and surrounding ranch land reducing the amount of light pollution.[13]

As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 417 people, 194 households, and 108 families residing in the town. The population density was 367.1 people per square mile (141.2/km²). There were 246 housing units at an average density of 216.6 per square mile (83.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.44% White, 1.92% Native American, 0.24% Asian, and 2.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.16% of the population.

Online Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

pipe welder at work in Westcliffe COWelding is truly a hands-on type of profession, and for that reason not extremely suitable for online training. However, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by various community colleges and trade schools in the greater Westcliffe CO area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes mainly cover such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a basis to start their training and education. Nevertheless, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials until you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be done online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for seasoned welders that would like to advance their expertise or possibly obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely careful and confirm that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Find the Right Welding Trade Program Westcliffe CO

Picking the ideal welder training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any welder training that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each program offers unique possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Westcliffe CO.

 

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