How to Enroll In a Welder Certification Class near Blythe Georgia

Locating the ideal welder trade school near Blythe GA is an essential first step to starting your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to pick from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you select the right one? Most prospective students start by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their homes. When they have found those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial concerns when examining welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s sensible to develop a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Degree and Certificate Training

There are several options to get training as a welder in a trade or vocational 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 combined with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief summaries of the most typical welding programs available in the Blythe GA.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally made available by trade and technical schools and require about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed mainly to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental skills for working welders.
• Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to finish 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 furnishing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Many states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore don’t forget to check for your location of future employment. As required, the welding school you choose should ready you for any licensing exams that you will need to pass in addition to furnishing the suitable training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Options

There are a number of organizations that provide welder certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. A large number of Blythe GA employers not only require a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available based upon the kind of work that the welder does. Just some of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

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

As previously stated, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating 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 experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and confirm that the welding vocational school you choose preps you for certification as needed.

How to Pick a Welder Technical School

As soon as you have decided on the credential you would like to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous welding trade and vocational schools in the Blythe GA area. That’s why it’s important to decide up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously 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 very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that should be considered. After all, the program you select is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are more factors you may want to evaluate before choosing a welding tech school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welder tech school you select is accredited by either a national or a regional 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 offers, such as Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, 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 ensure that you obtain a quality education, the accreditation can also help in getting financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable in Blythe GA for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Numerous welder diploma or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools must 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 utilize for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and establish relationships within the Blythe GA welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that enroll in an instructional program and finish it. It’s crucial that the welding school you select has a high completion rate. A reduced rate could signify that the students who enrolled in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only verify that the program has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Blythe GA employer relationships to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. After you have decreased your choice of welding programs to 2 or 3 options, you should consider visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Make sure that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained 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 currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Blythe GA welding professional if they can give you a few suggestions.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly talked about the significance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we need to address. You should keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the welding program you pick needs to be within driving distance of your Blythe GA home. If you do choose to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides relocation expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welding diploma programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, 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 want to work.

Small Classes. Personalized training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get lost in bigger classes and not get much individualized instruction. Ask what the typical class size is for the welding schools you are reviewing. Inquire if you can attend some classes so that you can observe how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, talk with some of the students and get their evaluations. Also, chat with some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Flexible Class Schedules. Many people learn a new trade while still employed at their present job. Make sure 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 Blythe GA, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide those alternatives. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Blythe GA?

Perhaps you live in the Blythe 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 Welding Training

Welding is very much a manual kind of profession, and therefore not extremely compatible with training online. Even so, there are a small number of online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Blythe GA area that can be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily cover such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a foundation to start their education and training. However, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be accomplished online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for seasoned welders that want to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely careful and verify that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Choose the Right Welding Vocational Program Blythe GA

Selecting the right welding training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any welder school that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every program offers different options for certification also. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Blythe GA.