Welding Schools Near Me | How to Become a Welder – Teays WV

How to Find the Right Welding Trade School near Teays West Virginia

Teays WV welding school studentChoosing the right welding trade school near Teays WV is an essential first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you pick the right one? Many people begin by looking at the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have located those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary concerns when examining welder technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before beginning your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s sensible to create a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Certificate and Degree Training

Teays WV welder working on pipingThere are several alternatives available to obtain training as a welder in a trade or technical 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 made available combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief descriptions of the most typical welding programs available in the Teays WV.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are normally offered by technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed mainly to teach 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 2 years to finish and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still supplying the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

A number of municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore be sure to check for your location of potential employment. If needed, the welding school you choose should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to providing the proper training to become a professional welder.

Welding Certification Options

Teays WV welder working on poleThere are multiple organizations that provide welding certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Teays WV employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are available based on the kind of work that the welder does. A few of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

  • Work in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with specific metal thicknesses
  • Work with various kinds of welds
  • Work based on contract specifications

As previously stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number additionally require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and confirm that the welding trade school you decide on readies you for certification as needed.

How to Select a Welding Vocational School

Teays WV welder working on carOnce you have chosen the credential you would like to earn, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to assess schools. As you probably know, there are numerous welder vocational and trade schools in the Teays WV area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously covered two important ones that most people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that need to be looked at. After all, the program you decide on is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are some additional factors you might want to consider before choosing a welding trade school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welding technical school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. 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, such as Welding Technology. So verify that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you receive a quality education, the accreditation might also help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable in Teays WV for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of welder degree or certificate programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools must have associations with local unions and other 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 referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish relationships within the Teays WV welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an instructional program and complete it. It’s important that the welding program you pick has a high completion rate. A lower rate could signify that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the quality of training. A high job placement rate will not only verify that the program has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of Teays WV employer relationships to help students secure employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your selection of welding programs to two or three options, 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 taught on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with 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. Otherwise, ask a local Teays WV welding professional if they can give you a few pointers.

School Location. Although we previously briefly talked about the relevance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to cover. You should bear in mind that unless you can move, the welding school you pick must be within driving distance of your Teays WV home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, besides moving expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, often their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you subsequently will want to work.

Smaller Classes. Individualized training is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to get lost in bigger classes and not receive much one-on-one instruction. Ask what the average class size is for the welder schools you are looking at. Inquire if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can witness how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, speak with several of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, talk to some of the teachers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.

Convenient Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Teays WV, make sure that the schools you are reviewing provide those alternatives. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any because of illness, work or family circumstances.

Will You Be Attending Welding School Near Teays WV?

Perhaps you live in the Teays 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.

Teays Valley, West Virginia

Teays Valley (/ˈteɪz/ TAYZ[5]) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Putnam County, West Virginia, United States. The place is divided into the two districts of Teays Valley and Scott Depot.[6] The population was 13,175 at the 2010 census.[2] Teays Valley is part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 287,702. New definitions from February 28, 2013 placed the population at 363,000.[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.3 square miles (18.8 km²), of which 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km²) (1.34%) is water.

The valley referred to by "Teays Valley" is a portion of the remains of the pre-glacial Teays River. Today, the valley's water is shed through a number of creeks which empty into the Kanawha and Mud rivers.

Online Welder Degree and Certificate Programs

pipe welder at work in Teays WVWelding is very much a manual kind of trade, and therefore not extremely compatible with training online. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Teays WV area that may be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These courses primarily cover such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a foundation to begin their education and training. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle 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 more appropriate for experienced 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 extremely careful and confirm that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Find the Right Welding Trade Program Teays WV

Picking the ideal welder school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Teays WV.

 

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