How to Pick a Welding Certificate Program near Blue Ridge Georgia

Selecting the right welding vocational school near Blue Ridge GA is an important first step to starting your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to pick from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you pick the right one? Many prospective students begin by looking at the schools that are closest to their residences. When they have located those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial considerations when evaluating welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before beginning your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s prudent to develop 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.

Welder Degree and Certificate Programs

There are multiple options to get 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 offered in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced courses 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 offered in the Blue Ridge GA.

• Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually made available by technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed largely to develop welding skills. They can furnish 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 provides a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Some states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to check for your location of future employment. If required, the welding school you choose should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will need to pass in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Alternatives

There are a number of organizations that provide welding certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Blue Ridge GA employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available dependent on the kind of work that the welder performs. Just some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

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

As earlier stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, many 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 location and confirm that the welding vocational school you decide on readies you for certification if needed.

How to Decide on a Welding Tech School

When you have chosen the credential you want to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to assess schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous welding trade and vocational schools in the Blue Ridge GA area. That’s why it’s essential to decide up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already covered 2 important ones that most people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the program you pick is going to furnish the training that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are some additional factors you might want to evaluate before picking a welder technical school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder tech school you pick 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 has, such as Welding Technology. So verify that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you receive an excellent education, the accreditation may also assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable in Blue Ridge GA for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Many welding degree or diploma programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools must have relationships 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 rely upon for placements. These programs can help students find employment and develop relationships within the Blue Ridge GA welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an academic program and finish it. It’s essential that the welder school you choose has a higher completion rate. A reduced rate might mean that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the instructors, 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 also that it has the network of Blue Ridge GA employer relationships to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have limited your selection of welder schools to two or three options, you should think out visiting the campuses to look over 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 currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Blue Ridge GA welding professional if they can give you some suggestions.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly discussed the relevance of location, there are a few additional issues that we should cover. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welder program you pick needs to be within commuting distance of your Blue Ridge GA home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides moving costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, most likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in an area or state where you subsequently will wish to work.

Small Classes. Individualized instruction is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in larger classes and not receive much one-on-one training. Find out what the typical class size is for the welding schools you are considering. Inquire if you can sit in on some classes so that you can see how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, talk with a few of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Flexible Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still working at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Blue Ridge GA, make sure that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm 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, illness or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Blue Ridge GA?

Perhaps you live in the Blue Ridge Georgia 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.

Online Welder Degree and Certificate Programs

Welding is truly a manual type of profession, and therefore not very suitable for training online. However, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Blue Ridge GA area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes mainly cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to initiate their training and education. Nevertheless, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless you actually do it. Clearly 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 better suited for seasoned welders that want to advance their knowledge or possibly obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely cautious and make sure that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Choose the Right Welding Trade Program Blue Ridge GA

Choosing the ideal welding training program will undoubtedly 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 assess and compare between the programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any welding training that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Blue Ridge GA.