Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Watrous NM

How to Select a Welder Training Class near Watrous New Mexico

Watrous NM welding school studentEnrolling in the right welding trade school near Watrous NM is an essential first step to starting your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you select the right one? Many people begin by looking at the schools that are closest to their homes. Once they have located those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and tuition cost are crucial considerations when evaluating welder vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations 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 create 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.

Welder Certificate and Degree Training

Watrous NM welder working on pipingThere are multiple options to get training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can receive a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are short explanations of the most typical welding programs available in the Watrous NM.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, created largely to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional skills for working welders.
  • Associate Degree Programs will take two years to complete and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still providing the foundation that prepares 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 potential employment. If needed, the welding school you choose 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.

Welding Certification Options

Watrous NM welder working on poleThere are several organizations that provide welding certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Watrous NM employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered dependent on the type of work that the welder does. Some of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

  • Operate in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with specific metal thicknesses
  • Work with specific kinds of welds
  • Work in compliance with contract specifications

As already stated, various states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and confirm that the welding technical school you select preps you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welder Tech Program

Watrous NM welder working on carAs soon as you have chosen the credential you would like to earn, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you can imagine, there are a large number of welding vocational and trade schools in the Watrous NM area. That’s why it’s essential to decide in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already covered 2 significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that should be considered. After all, the program you pick is going to provide the education that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may need to evaluate before choosing a welder trade school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding tech school you choose is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are 2 basic 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 offers, for example Welding Technology. So verify that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you get a quality education, the accreditation can also assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available in Watrous NM 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 also.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Many welding degree or diploma programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools must have relationships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. More established schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can help students find employment and establish associations within the Watrous NM welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an educational program and finish it. It’s crucial that the welding program you choose has a high completion rate. A low rate may signify that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the program has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Watrous NM employer relationships to assist students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. After you have decreased your choice of welder schools to 2 or 3 options, you should think out going to the campuses to inspect their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained on are modern. In particular, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be using on the job. If you are unsure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Watrous NM welding professional if they can give you a few pointers.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly talked about the significance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we need to deal with. You should remember that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welding school you choose needs to be within driving distance of your Watrous NM home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides moving expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welding diploma programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school needs to be in an area or state where you subsequently will wish to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized instruction is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get overlooked in bigger classes and not get much personalized instruction. Find out what the usual class size is for the welding programs you are looking at. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can see how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, talk with several of the students and get their evaluations. Also, talk to some of the teachers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Flexible Class Schedules. Some people learn a new profession while still employed at their current job. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Watrous NM, make certain that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Watrous NM?

Perhaps you live in the Watrous New Mexico 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.

Watrous (La Junta)

Watrous, also named La Junta, is a National Historic Landmark District near Watrous, New Mexico. It encompasses the historic junction point of the two major branches of the Santa Fe Trail, a major 19th-century frontier settlement route between St. Louis, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. La Junta, marked this junction point, as well as the first major indications of civilization before westbound travelers reached Santa Fe. The district includes a large area west of the modern community of Watrous, encompassing the confluence of the Mora and Sapello Rivers. Surviving buildings include the houses of early ranchers, as well as a stagecoach mailstop and inn. The district was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963.[2][3]

The Santa Fe Trail was one of the major routes by which the American West was settled. It had two major branches: the Mountain Branch, which skirted north of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and crossed southward at Raton Pass, and the Cimarron Cutoff, which ran a more direct route south of mountains but across desert that was also populated by hostile Native Americans. These two routes came together to the west of the confluence of the Mora and Sapello Rivers, which is just north of present-day Watrous. The Santa Fe Trail remained in use until the 1870s, when it was supplanted by Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, whose route roughly follows the Cimarron Cutoff route. The railroad established the present-day community of Watrous east of the trail junction, after which the small community there was largely abandoned.[3]

The community at the trail junction was known as La Junta ("the junction" in Spanish), Tiptonville, or Watrous, the latter two based on the names of two early ranchers in the area, Samuel Watrous and William Tipton. There are 21 surviving structures or foundational remains in the district, most of which were built before 1870. Important surviving structures include the ranch house and store of Samuel Watrous (now on the Watrous Valley Ranch), a similar building belonging to William Tipton, and the rancho house of William Koenig. The Koenig House, built in the 1860s on what is now known as the Phoenix Ranch, is one of the state's finest examples of Territorial architecture. There are also three small cemeteries, and the remains of three structures associated with a horse corral managed by Fort Union.[3]

Online Welder Certificate and Degree Programs

pipe welder at work in Watrous NMWelding is truly a manual kind of profession, and for that reason not very suitable for training online. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Watrous NM area that may count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly cover such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to initiate their training and education. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be performed online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for seasoned welders that would like to advance their knowledge or possibly attain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be very careful and make certain that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Choose the Ideal Welding Tech Program Watrous NM

Picking the right welding school will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare between the programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any welder training program that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor 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 proper training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional welder in Watrous NM.

 

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