How to Select a Welder Training Program near Waukegan Illinois
Enrolling in the right welder school near Waukegan IL is an important first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to select from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you select the right one? Many people begin by checking out the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are crucial considerations when reviewing welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before starting 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 explore our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.
Welding Degree and Certificate Training
There are multiple alternatives available to receive training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can earn 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 in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are short descriptions of the most prevalent welding programs offered in the Waukegan IL.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually made available by technical and trade schools and take about 1 year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned mainly to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized 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 well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.
Some municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to find out for your location of future employment. If required, the welding school you choose should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to supplying the appropriate training to become a professional welder.
Welding Certification Alternatives
There are various organizations that offer welder certifications, which assess the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Waukegan IL employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered based upon the type of work that the welder does. Some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to
- Operate in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specified metal thicknesses
- Work with specific kinds of welds
- Work according to contract specifications
As formerly stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number additionally require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an extremely skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and verify that the welding tech school you select readies you for certification as needed.
How to Decide on a Welding Technical Program
Once you have chosen the credential you would like to attain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to compare schools. As you can imagine, there are a large number of welding trade and technical schools in the Waukegan IL area. That’s why it’s important to decide in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already covered 2 important ones that most people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the program you decide on is going to provide the education that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may want to consider before picking a welder vocational school.
Accreditation. It’s very important that the welding technical school you pick is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are 2 basic kinds 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, for instance Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, the accreditation can also help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not offered in Waukegan IL for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.
Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. A large number of welding certificate or degree programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools should have relationships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for placements. These programs can help students find employment and establish relationships within the Waukegan IL welding community.
Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an instructional program and complete it. It’s important that the welding program you pick has a high completion rate. A reduced rate could mean that the students who joined the program were unhappy with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication of the quality of training. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of Waukegan IL contacts to help students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.
Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your selection of welding schools to 2 or 3 options, you should consider going to 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. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with 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. If not, ask a local Waukegan IL welding contractor if they can give you a few suggestions.
School Location. Although we previously briefly discussed the importance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we should address. You should remember that unless you are able to relocate, the welding program you pick needs to be within driving distance of your Waukegan IL home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from moving costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides 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 subsequently will wish to work.
Smaller Classes. Personalized instruction is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in bigger classes and not obtain much individualized training. Find out what the average class size is for the welder schools you are reviewing. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can see just how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their opinions. Also, talk with some of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.
Convenient Class Schedules. Some people learn a new profession while still employed at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Waukegan IL, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.
Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Waukegan IL?
Perhaps you live in the Waukegan Illinois 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.
Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan /wɔːˈkiːɡən/ is the largest city in and the county seat of Lake County, Illinois, United States.[7] It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, located approximately 40 miles north of Downtown Chicago. As of the 2013 census estimate, Waukegan had a population of 88,826,[3] which makes it the ninth-largest city in Illinois by population. Waukegan is a blue collar town that formerly served as an important industrial hub within the Chicagoland area.
The site of present-day Waukegan was recorded as Rivière du Vieux Fort ("Old Fort River") and Wakaygagh on a 1778 map by Thomas Hutchins. By the 1820s, the French name had become "Small Fort River" in English, and the settlement was known as "Little Fort". The name "Waukegance" and then "Waukegan" (meaning "little fort"; cf. Potawatomi wakaigin "fort" or "fortress") was created by John H. Kinzie and Solomon Juneau, and the new name was adopted on March 31, 1849.[8][9]
Waukegan had an abolitionist community dating to these early days. In 1853, residents commemorated the anniversary of emancipation of slaves in the British Empire with a meeting.[10] Waukegan arguably has the distinction of being the only place where Abraham Lincoln failed to finish a speech; when he campaigned in the town in 1860, a fire alarm rang, and the man soon-to-be president had his words interrupted.[11]
Online Welding Courses
Welding is truly a manual type of trade, and consequently not extremely suitable for online training. Having said that, there are a few online welding programs offered by specific community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Waukegan IL area that may be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a foundation to initiate their education and training. However, the most important 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 accomplished online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for seasoned welders that desire to advance their knowledge or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely cautious and make sure that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Pick the Right Welding Trade School Waukegan IL
Selecting the right welding training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Waukegan IL.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 42
2 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
5 Reviews 
9 Reviews 
43 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
14 Reviews 
21 Reviews 
13 Reviews 