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

How to Enroll In a Welding Trade School near Exeter California

Exeter CA welding school studentLocating the right welding vocational school near Exeter CA is an essential first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to pick from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you select the best one? A number of prospective students start by reviewing 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 crucial issues when evaluating welder vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s sensible to develop a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Certificate and Degree Training Classes

Exeter CA welder working on pipingThere are several alternatives available to obtain training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can receive a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available 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 summaries of the most typical welding programs available in the Exeter CA.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally made available by technical and trade schools and require about a year to finish. 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 finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides a more extensive 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 requirements for welders, therefore don’t forget to find out for your location of future employment. If required, the welder school you choose should prep you for any licensing exams that you will need to take in addition to providing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Options

Exeter CA welder working on poleThere are several institutions that provide welder certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Exeter CA employers not only expect a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a highly regarded organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based upon the type 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 certain metal thicknesses
  • Work with certain kinds of welds
  • Perform according to contract specifications

As earlier stated, many cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and verify that the welding vocational school you decide on prepares you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welding Technical Program

Exeter CA welder working on carOnce you have decided on the credential you would like to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welding trade and vocational schools in the Exeter CA area. That’s why it’s important to determine in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously discussed two significant ones that most people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that should be considered. After all, the school you decide on is going to furnish the training that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may need to consider before selecting a welding vocational school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder trade school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two basic types of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a single program the school offers, such as 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, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, the accreditation can also assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available in Exeter CA for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Numerous welder diploma or degree programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Find out 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 refer their students. Older schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and establish associations within the Exeter 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 crucial that the welder program you choose has a higher completion rate. A reduced rate may mean that the students who enrolled in 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 higher job placement rate will not only affirm that the program has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Exeter CA contacts to help students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Facilities and Equipment. After you have decreased your choice of welding programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to inspect their facilities. Make sure that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed on are modern. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with in the field. If you are not sure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Exeter CA welding professional if they can give you some suggestions.

School Location. Even though we already briefly covered the relevance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we should cover. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to move, the welder school you select must be within driving distance of your Exeter CA home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides moving expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, 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 should be in a region or state where you subsequently will desire 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 obtain much one-on-one training. Ask what the typical class size is for the welder programs you are considering. Inquire if you can attend a few classes so that you can witness how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with several of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, talk with some of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Exeter CA, make certain that the schools you are assessing provide those options. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any due to work, sickness or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Exeter CA?

Perhaps you live in the Exeter 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.

Exeter, California

Exeter is located on State Highway 65, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Highway 198 and 15 miles (24 km) east of Highway 99. Exeter is within a 3 to 4 hour drive of both Los Angeles and San Francisco, and 30 minutes from the entrance to Sequoia National Park.[citation needed]

The public school system in Exeter consists of: Exeter Union High School (9-12), the Wilson Middle School (6-8), Rocky Hill Elementary (K-5), Lincoln Elementary (K-5) and Kaweah High School (a continuation high school). The 1999-2000 enrollment was: grades K-8, 1,936 and grades 9-12, 1101 students.

Before the arrival of European settlers, Yokuts settled around an area in an oak forest two miles north of Exeter. The current town site was a plain that possessed elk, antelope, frogs, and deer.[1] Rocky Hill, to the east of the city, offered shelter to native tribes when the plain flooded. Several caves on the hill contain petroglyphs, though some of the most important of these were destroyed by local vandals/looters and poorly managed and unsupervised steer.

Online Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

pipe welder at work in Exeter CAWelding is very much a hands-on type of trade, and consequently not very suitable for online training. Having said that, there are some online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Exeter CA area that may be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes mainly deal with such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a foundation to initiate their education and training. Nevertheless, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously 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 desire to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely careful and confirm that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Find the Right Welding Trade Program Exeter CA

Picking the right welder school will undoubtedly be the most critical 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 among the programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any welder school that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in duration 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. Each program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Exeter CA.

 

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