How to Select a Welding Degree Program near Whittier North Carolina

Finding the ideal welder technical school near Whittier NC is an important first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to pick from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have narrowed down your alternatives, how do you select the best one? A number of prospective students begin by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their homes. When they have found those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and tuition cost are crucial concerns when evaluating welder technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before beginning 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 explore our due diligence checklist, let’s cover 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 diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief summaries of the most typical welding programs available in the Whittier NC.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by trade and technical schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned mainly to teach welding skills. They can furnish 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 furnishes a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still supplying the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

A number of municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so don’t forget to check for your location of potential employment. As required, the welder school you pick should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will need to take in addition to furnishing the suitable training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

There are multiple organizations that offer welding certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Whittier NC employers not only require a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are offered based upon the kind of work that the welder performs. A few of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As formerly stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, a number 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 similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and make certain that the welding technical school you decide on prepares you for certification if needed.

How to Select a Welding Vocational School

When you have decided on the credential you want to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to assess schools. As you can imagine, there are a large number of welder vocational and trade schools in the Whittier NC area. That’s why it’s important to determine up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already covered 2 important ones that many people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that should be considered. After all, the program you select is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are more factors you may need to consider before selecting a welding trade school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding vocational school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two basic types of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So verify that the program you select is accredited, not just the school itself. 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 get a quality education, the accreditation can also assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available in Whittier NC for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welder degree or diploma programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job after 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 various metal working businesses to which they can refer 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 associations within the Whittier NC welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an educational program and complete it. It’s essential that the welder program you choose has a higher completion rate. A low rate could indicate 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 school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Whittier NC contacts to help students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Facilities and Equipment. Once you have decreased your selection of welder schools to 2 or 3 options, you should think out going to 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 using on the job. If you are uncertain what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Whittier NC welding contractor if they can give you some suggestions.

School Location. Although we previously briefly covered the importance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should address. You should remember that unless you are able to relocate, the welder school you choose must be within commuting distance of your Whittier NC home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welding certificate programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement 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. Personalized training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in larger classes and not obtain much individualized training. Ask what the average class size is for the welder programs you are reviewing. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can see just how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, chat with some of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Flexible Class Schedules. Some people learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Whittier NC, make certain that the schools you are reviewing offer those alternatives. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any due to illness, work or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Whittier NC?

Perhaps you live in the Whittier North Carolina 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 type of trade, and therefore not extremely compatible with online training. However, there are a few online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and trade schools in the greater Whittier NC area that may be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a foundation to initiate their education and training. However, the most important 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 done 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 obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be very cautious and make certain that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Choose the Right Welding Technical Program Whittier NC

Choosing the best welder school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare among the programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Whittier NC.