How to Choose a Welding Trade School near Sharon Springs Kansas

Finding the right welder school near Sharon Springs KS is an important first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you pick the best one? Most people begin by looking at the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have found those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are important considerations when examining welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s wise to create a list of qualifications that your chosen 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 Programs

There are a number of options available to receive training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can earn a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced courses 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 Sharon Springs KS.

• Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually made available by technical and trade schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned primarily to teach 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 two years to complete and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

A number of municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore don’t forget to find out for your location of future employment. If needed, the welder school you choose should ready you for any licensing exams that you will have to pass in addition to furnishing the suitable training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

There are various institutions that provide welding certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. A large number of Sharon Springs KS employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available based upon the type of work that the welder performs. A few 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 according to contract specifications

As formerly stated, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and make sure that the welding tech school you decide on prepares you for certification if needed.

How to Choose a Welder Trade Program

After you have chosen the credential you want to earn, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to evaluate schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welder trade and technical schools in the Sharon Springs KS area. That’s why it’s necessary to determine in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already covered a couple of significant ones that most people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the program you decide on is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may need to evaluate before choosing a welding technical school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder vocational school you decide on is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are two 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 offers, for instance Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, the accreditation can also assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable in Sharon Springs KS for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. Numerous welding degree or certificate programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools must have associations with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish relationships within the Sharon Springs KS welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an instructional program and complete it. It’s essential that the welding program you pick has a high completion rate. A lower rate may signify that the students who enrolled in the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of Sharon Springs KS contacts to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have narrowed down your choice of welding schools to two or three possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Make sure 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 in the field. If you are unsure what to look for, and are currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Sharon Springs KS welding professional if they can give you some pointers.

School Location. Even though we already briefly discussed the significance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we need to address. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to move, the welding program you pick must be within commuting distance of your Sharon Springs KS home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welder diploma programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, often their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school needs to be in a region or state where you ultimately will wish to work.

Small Classes. One-on-one instruction is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to be overlooked in larger classes and not get much one-on-one instruction. Ask what the usual class size is for the welding schools you are reviewing. Inquire if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can see just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their evaluations. Also, chat with a couple of the instructors and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.

Flexible Class Schedules. Some people learn a new profession while still working at their present job. Check to see that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Sharon Springs KS, make sure that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only enroll part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Sharon Springs KS?

Perhaps you live in the Sharon Springs 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 Certificate and Degree Programs

Welding is truly a hands-on kind of profession, and consequently not very suitable for training online. However, there are a few online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Sharon Springs KS area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to start their education and training. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with 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 seasoned welders that want to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely cautious and make certain that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Find the Best Welding Technical School Sharon Springs KS

Selecting the ideal welding school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any welder school that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Sharon Springs KS.