How to Find the Right Welder Trade School near Stafford Kansas

Finding the right welding trade school near Stafford KS is an important first step to beginning your new career as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to pick from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have narrowed down your alternatives, how do you pick the right one? A number of people start by checking out the schools that are nearest to their residences. When they have located those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are important concerns when evaluating welder technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before beginning your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s sensible to develop a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

There are several options available to receive training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can obtain a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced courses 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 Stafford KS.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally offered by technical and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed primarily 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 complete and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

A number of states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore don’t forget to check for your location of potential employment. As required, the welding school you pick should prep you for any licensing exams that you will have to take in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a professional welder.

Welding Certification Choices

There are multiple organizations that provide welder certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Stafford KS employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered based on the kind of work that the welder does. Just some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As already mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number additionally require certification for different 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 location and make sure that the welder vocational school you select preps you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welding Technical School

When you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you probably know, there are numerous welder trade and technical schools in the Stafford KS area. That’s why it’s necessary to decide in advance what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously covered 2 significant ones that most people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that should be considered. After all, the program you select 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 might want to consider before picking a welding technical school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder trade school you decide on is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 standard 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 has, for example Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you select is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, 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). In addition to helping ensure that you get a quality education, the accreditation may also assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not offered in Stafford KS for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous welding degree or certificate programs are provided combined 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 looking at assist 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 refer their students. More established schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can utilize for referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish relationships within the Stafford KS 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 essential that the welder program you select has a higher completion rate. A low rate may signify that the students who joined the program were unhappy with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Stafford KS contacts to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have narrowed down your choice of welder programs to two or three options, you should consider visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be taught on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be using on the job. If you are uncertain 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 Stafford KS welding professional if they can give you some tips.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly talked about the relevance of location, there are a few additional points that we should deal with. You should keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the welding program you pick must be within driving distance of your Stafford KS home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, apart from relocation costs there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement program, often their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school needs to be in an area or state where you ultimately will desire to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized training is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in bigger classes and not get much personalized training. Ask what the average class size is for the welder programs you are looking at. Ask if you can sit in on some classes so that you can see just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, talk to a couple of the instructors and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Convenient Class Scheduling. Many people learn a new trade while still employed at their present job. Check to see that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Stafford KS, make certain that the schools you are assessing provide those choices. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make certain 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 Stafford KS?

Perhaps you live in the Stafford Kansas 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 Schools

Welding is very much a hands-on kind of vocation, and for that reason not very suitable for training online. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Stafford KS area that may be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes mainly deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to initiate their education and training. Nevertheless, the most significant 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 have to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that desire to advance their knowledge or possibly earn a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely cautious and verify that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Find the Best Welding Tech Program Stafford KS

Choosing the best welding school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the programs you are considering. It’s a must that any welder training that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every training program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Stafford KS.