How to Choose a Welding Training Class near Wilson Kansas

Finding the ideal welder school near Wilson KS is an important first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have narrowed down your choices, how do you pick the right one? Many people begin by looking at the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial issues when evaluating welding technical 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 vocational school to become a welder, it’s wise to create 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 Training Courses

There are a number of options to receive training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can receive a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Below are short summaries of the most typical welding programs available in the Wilson KS.

• Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally made available by technical and trade schools and take about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, created primarily to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized skills for working welders.
• Associate Degree Programs will take two years to finish and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Many municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore be sure to check for your location of future employment. If required, the welding school you select should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Options

There are a number of organizations that offer welder certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Wilson KS employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available based upon the kind of work that the welder does. Just some of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As already mentioned, various states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, some additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and confirm that the welding trade school you decide on readies you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welding Tech Program

As soon as you have chosen the credential you would like to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you probably know, there are a large number of welding trade and technical schools in the Wilson KS area. That’s why it’s essential to decide up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered two significant ones that many people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the school you pick is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are some additional factors you might need to evaluate before picking a welder technical school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder tech school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. 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 specific program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you get a superior education, the accreditation can also assist in getting financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable in Wilson KS for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of welding diploma or degree programs are offered combined 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 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 place 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 Wilson KS welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an academic program and complete it. It’s important that the welding school you select has a higher completion rate. A reduced rate could signify that the students who joined the program were unhappy with the training, the instructors, 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 program has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Wilson KS contacts to help students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. After you have narrowed down your choice of welding programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should consider going to the campuses to inspect their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar 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. If not, ask a local Wilson KS welding professional if they can give you a few suggestions.

School Location. Although we already briefly talked about the significance of location, there are a few additional points that we need to deal with. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welder school you choose must be within commuting distance of your Wilson KS home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides moving costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welder diploma programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement program, often 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 want to work.

Small Classes. Individualized training is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get overlooked in larger classes and not get much one-on-one training. Find out what the average class size is for the welder programs you are considering. Ask if you can sit in on some classes so that you can experience just how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, speak with a couple of the teachers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Convenient Class Schedules. Many people learn a new profession while still employed at their present job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Wilson KS, make sure that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of illness, work or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Wilson KS?

Perhaps you live in the Wilson 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 Welding Training Programs

Welding is truly a manual kind of trade, and for that reason not very compatible with training online. However, there are a few online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Wilson KS area that can be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These classes mainly 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 important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials until you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be done online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that would like to advance their expertise or possibly earn a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely cautious and verify that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Select the Best Welding Tech School Wilson KS

Choosing the best welder training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any welding training that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world context, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best approach 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 certain that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Wilson KS.