How to Pick a Welding Certification Program near Summersville West Virginia

Finding the ideal welder trade school near Summersville WV 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 narrowed down your alternatives, how do you pick the right one? Most people start by looking at the schools that are closest to their residences. Once they have found those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial considerations when examining welding trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s prudent to develop 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 Programs

There are several alternatives available to get training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can earn a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are short explanations of the most prevalent welding programs offered in the Summersville WV.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by technical and trade schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, created mainly to teach welding skills. They can provide 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 usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Many states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so make sure to check for your location of future employment. If required, the welder school you pick should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to furnishing the suitable training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Choices

There are multiple institutions that offer welding certifications, which assess the skill level and knowledge of those applying. A large number of Summersville WV employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are available based on the kind of work that the welder performs. Just some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As formerly mentioned, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an extremely skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and make certain that the welder technical school you choose prepares you for certification as needed.

How to Choose a Welder Technical Program

Once you have chosen the credential you would like to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to assess schools. As you probably know, there are numerous welder trade and vocational schools in the Summersville WV area. That’s why it’s important to determine up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have already covered a couple of important ones that many people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the program you choose is going to furnish the training that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So below are some additional factors you might want to evaluate before choosing a welder technical school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welding trade school you pick is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are two standard kinds of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school has, for example Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you obtain an excellent education, the accreditation can also help in getting financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable in Summersville WV for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. Many welding degree or certificate programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools must have partnerships with local unions and other 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 referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish associations within the Summersville WV welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an instructional program and complete it. It’s important that the welder program you choose has a high completion rate. A low rate might indicate that the students who were in the program were unhappy with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Summersville WV contacts to help students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Facilities and Equipment. After you have decreased your selection of welding programs to two or three options, you should think out visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with in the field. If you are unsure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Summersville WV welding contractor if they can give you some pointers.

School Location. Although we already briefly discussed the relevance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to deal with. You should remember that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welding school you select needs to be within driving distance of your Summersville WV home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, apart from moving expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welding diploma programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, most likely their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school should be in an area or state where you subsequently will wish to work.

Smaller Classes. Personalized instruction is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to get overlooked in bigger classes and not receive much individualized training. Find out what the typical class size is for the welder schools you are reviewing. Inquire if you can sit in on some classes so that you can see how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with some of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, speak with a couple of the instructors and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Convenient Class Schedules. Some people learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Summersville WV, verify that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Summersville WV?

Perhaps you live in the Summersville West Virginia 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 Welder Classes

Welding is very much a hands-on type of trade, and for that reason not extremely compatible with online training. However, there are a few online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Summersville WV area that may count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly cover such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to initiate their education and training. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials unless 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 better suited for seasoned welders that desire to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be very careful and verify that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Find the Right Welding Vocational School Summersville WV

Choosing the right welder school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any welding school that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Summersville WV.