How to Select a Welding Degree Program near Wray Colorado

Choosing the ideal welding trade school near Wray CO is an essential first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you select the right one? A number of prospective students start by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have located those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are crucial issues when examining welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns 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 wise to establish a list of qualifications that your selected 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 Programs

There are multiple alternatives available to get training as a welder in a trade or vocational 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 brief descriptions of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Wray CO.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally offered by technical and trade schools and take about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed mainly to develop welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional skills for experienced welders.
• Associate Degree Programs will take two years to finish and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still furnishing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Many states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to find out for your location of potential employment. If required, the welding school you choose should ready you for any licensing exams that you will have to pass in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Options

There are various institutions that offer welding certifications, which assess the skill level and knowledge of those applying. A large number of Wray CO employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based on the kind of work that the welder does. Some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As already stated, some states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, some also require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and make sure that the welder trade school you choose readies you for certification as needed.

How to Pick a Welder Technical Program

Once you have decided on the credential you want to attain, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to compare schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welder vocational and trade schools in the Wray CO area. That’s why it’s important to determine in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already covered 2 important ones that many people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that should 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 below are more factors you may want to evaluate before selecting a welding vocational school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder tech school you select is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are two standard types of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So verify that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you obtain an excellent education, the accreditation can also help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable in Wray CO for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. Many welder diploma or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Find out if the schools you are looking at assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools should have relationships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. Older schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can help students find employment and develop relationships within the Wray CO welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an educational program and finish it. It’s important that the welding school you select has a higher completion rate. A lower rate may signify that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the program has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Wray CO employer relationships to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your choice of welder programs 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. In particular, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be using in the field. 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. If not, ask a local Wray CO welding professional if they can give you a few tips.

School Location. Although we previously briefly covered the significance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should address. You should keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the welding school you choose needs to be within driving distance of your Wray CO home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in an area or state where you ultimately will want to work.

Small Classes. Personalized training is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to be lost in larger classes and not receive much one-on-one training. Find out what the average class size is for the welder programs you are considering. Inquire if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can witness how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with some of the students and get their feedback. Also, speak with some of the teachers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Flexible Class Schedules. Many people learn a new profession while still employed at their present job. Check to see that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Wray CO, verify that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Wray CO?

Perhaps you live in the Wray Colorado 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

Welding is truly a manual type of profession, and for that reason not extremely compatible with training online. Having said that, there are some online welding classes offered by various community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Wray CO area that can be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a basis to start 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. Obviously 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 better suited for seasoned welders that would like to advance their expertise or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely careful and make certain that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Pick the Right Welding Technical Program Wray CO

Choosing the best welding training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program provides unique options for certification also. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional welder in Wray CO.