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Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Port Lions AK

How to Select a Welding Trade School near Port Lions Alaska

Port Lions AK welding school studentLocating the ideal welder trade school near Port Lions AK is an essential first step to starting your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you select the right one? Most people begin 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 costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are important considerations when reviewing 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 sensible to establish a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Certificate and Degree Training Classes

Port Lions AK welder working on pipingThere are multiple alternatives available to obtain training as a welder in a trade or technical 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 courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered along with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief descriptions of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Port Lions AK.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually made available by trade and technical schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, created largely to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental 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 certificate or diploma while still supplying the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Many municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so make sure to find out for your location of potential employment. As required, the welding school you choose should prep you for any licensing exams that you will have to pass in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a professional welder.

Welding Certification Alternatives

Port Lions AK welder working on poleThere are several organizations that offer welder certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Port Lions AK employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are offered based on the type of work that the welder does. A few of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

  • Operate in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with certain metal thicknesses
  • Work with specific kinds of welds
  • Perform according to contract specifications

As already stated, some 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 prove to employers that you are an extremely skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and make sure that the welding trade school you select prepares you for certification if needed.

How to Decide on a Welder Tech Program

Port Lions AK welder working on carAs soon as you have decided on the credential you would like to obtain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to assess schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of welding vocational and trade schools in the Port Lions AK area. That’s why it’s essential to decide in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already discussed a couple of important ones that many people look at 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 looked at. After all, the school you select is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are more factors you may need to evaluate before choosing a welder trade school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder tech school you decide on is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are 2 basic types 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 choose is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, the accreditation might also help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not offered in Port Lions AK for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Many welder diploma or degree programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement 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 assist students in finding employment and establish associations within the Port Lions AK welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an educational program and complete it. It’s important that the welder school you select has a high completion rate. A low rate could indicate that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only verify that the program has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Port Lions AK employer relationships to help students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. After you have narrowed down your choice of welding programs to two or three possibilities, you should think out visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Make sure 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 uncertain what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Port Lions AK welding professional if they can give you some pointers.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly covered the importance of location, there are a few additional points that we need to deal with. You should keep in mind that unless you can move, the welding school you pick must be within driving distance of your Port Lions AK home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, apart from moving expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement program, most likely their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school should be in an area or state where you ultimately will wish to work.

Small Classes. Individualized instruction is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in bigger classes and not obtain much individualized instruction. Ask what the usual class size is for the welder schools you are reviewing. Inquire if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can experience just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with several of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, chat with a few of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Many people learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Port Lions AK, verify that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Port Lions AK?

Perhaps you live in the Port Lions Alaska 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.

Port Lions, Alaska

Port Lions (Masiqsirraq[4] in Alutiiq) is a city located on Kodiak Island in the Kodiak Island Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 194, down from 256 in 2000.

Port Lions was built to house the inhabitants of Ag'waneq from the neighboring island of Afognak and Port Wakefield from Raspberry Island, after their villages were destroyed by the Good Friday earthquake in 1964. Port Lions was built with help from the United States government and the Lions Club. It was named in honor of the club.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.1 square miles (26 km2), of which, 6.3 square miles (16 km2) of it is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km2) of it (36.98%) is water.

Online Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

pipe welder at work in Port Lions AKWelding is very much a hands-on kind of vocation, and for that reason not very suitable for online training. However, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Port Lions AK area that can be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These courses primarily cover such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a foundation to start their education and training. Nevertheless, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials unless you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be done online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that desire to advance their knowledge or possibly obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and make certain that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Choose the Ideal Welding Vocational School Port Lions AK

Choosing the best welder training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare among the programs you are considering. It’s a must that any welding training that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Port Lions AK.

 

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