How to Select a Welding Certification Program near Cambridge Massachusetts
Selecting the ideal welding vocational school near Cambridge MA 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 determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you pick the right one? Most people start by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their homes. Once they have found those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial considerations when reviewing welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s wise to establish a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.
Welding Degree and Certificate Training Classes
There are multiple alternatives available to get training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered along with an apprenticeship program. Below are short summaries of the most typical welding programs available in the Cambridge MA.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally offered by technical and trade schools and require about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed mainly to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental skills for experienced welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to complete and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still furnishing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
Many municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to check for your location of future employment. As required, the welding school you choose should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will need to take in addition to providing the appropriate training to become a professional welder.
Welder Certification Alternatives
There are various organizations that offer welder certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Cambridge MA employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available 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
- Work based on contract specifications
As already stated, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, many also require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and verify that the welding tech school you select readies you for certification as needed.
How to Pick a Welding Technical Program
Once you have decided on the credential you want to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to assess schools. As you can imagine, there are many welding vocational and trade schools in the Cambridge MA area. That’s why it’s important to determine in advance what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have already discussed 2 important ones that many people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the program you pick is going to provide the education that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are more factors you might want to evaluate before picking a welder vocational school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding trade school you select is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are 2 basic types of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. 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 make sure that you receive a quality education, the accreditation may also assist in getting financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available in Cambridge MA for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.
Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welding diploma or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are considering assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools should have partnerships 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 utilize for referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop associations within the Cambridge MA welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an educational program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welder school you select has a high completion rate. A reduced rate may mean that the students who joined 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 quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only affirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Cambridge MA employer relationships to help students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.
Modern Facilities and Equipment. Once you have decreased your selection of welder schools to two or three options, you should consider visiting the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with on the job. If you are unsure what to look for, and are currently in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Cambridge MA welding professional if they can give you a few suggestions.
School Location. Even though we previously briefly covered the importance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we need to deal with. You should remember that unless you have the ability to move, the welder school you pick needs to be within commuting distance of your Cambridge MA home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, besides moving expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school offers 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 a region or state where you subsequently will wish to work.
Smaller Classes. Individualized instruction is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in bigger classes and not get much personalized training. Find out what the typical class size is for the welding schools you are looking at. Inquire if you can attend a few classes so that you can see just how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with several of the students and get their feedback. Also, talk with some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.
Convenient Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still employed at their present job. Check to see that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Cambridge MA, make sure that the schools you are looking at offer those alternatives. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family circumstances.
Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Cambridge MA?
Perhaps you live in the Cambridge Massachusetts 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.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Situated directly north of Boston, across the Charles River, it was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders.[4]:18
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), two of the world's most prestigious universities, are in Cambridge,[5] as was Radcliffe College, one of the leading colleges for women in the United States until it merged with Harvard on October 1, 1999.
According to the 2010 Census, the city's population was 105,162.[6] As of July 2014[update], it was the fifth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, Worcester, Springfield and Lowell.[7] Cambridge is one of the two seats of Middlesex County, although the county government was abolished in 1997; Lowell is the other.
Online Welding Classes
Welding is truly a hands-on kind of profession, and therefore not very suitable for online training. Having said that, there are a few online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and technical schools in the greater Cambridge MA area that can be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a basis to begin their education and training. However, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials until you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be performed online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for seasoned welders that desire to advance their expertise or possibly attain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be very cautious and confirm that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Pick the Best Welding Technical School Cambridge MA
Selecting the right welding training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any welder training program that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each program provides unique options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Cambridge MA.
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