How to Find the Right Welder Training Program near White Plains New York
Choosing the ideal welder school near White Plains NY is an important first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you select the best one? A number of prospective students start by checking out the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have located those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial considerations when evaluating welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors 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 sensible to create 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 Classes
There are several alternatives available to receive training as a welder in a technical or trade 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 degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief descriptions of the most typical welding programs available in the White Plains NY.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by trade and technical schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed primarily to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized 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 offers a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still supplying the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
Many municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so make sure to check for your location of future employment. If needed, the welder school you pick should prep you for any licensing exams that you will have to pass in addition to providing the proper training to become a qualified welder.
Welder Certification Alternatives
There are several institutions that offer welding certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many White Plains NY employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available based upon the kind of work that the welder performs. Just some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to
- Work in compliance with specific codes
- Work with certain metal thicknesses
- Work with certain kinds of welds
- Perform based on contract specifications
As earlier stated, some states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number also require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an extremely skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and verify that the welding technical school you select preps you for certification if needed.
Topics to Ask Welder Trade Schools
When you have decided on the credential you want to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to compare schools. As you can imagine, there are many welding trade and vocational schools in the White Plains NY area. That’s why it’s essential to determine in advance what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have already discussed 2 significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be looked at. After all, the program you select is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are some additional factors you might want to consider before choosing a welding technical school.
Accreditation. It’s very important that the welder trade school you pick is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 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 make sure 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, for example 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 assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not offered in White Plains NY for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.
Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of welder degree or diploma programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools should have relationships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older 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 White Plains NY welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an academic program and complete it. It’s essential that the welding program you choose has a higher completion rate. A lower rate might mean that the students who were in the program were unhappy 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 affirm that the program has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of White Plains NY employer relationships to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.
Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. After you have decreased your selection of welder programs to two or three options, you should consider going to the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be using in the field. If you are not sure 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 White Plains NY welding professional if they can give you some tips.
School Location. Even though we already briefly covered the significance of location, there are a few additional points that we need to cover. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welding program you choose must be within driving distance of your White Plains NY home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from moving expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement program, most likely their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you ultimately will wish to work.
Small Classes. One-on-one training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in larger classes and not receive much personalized instruction. Find out what the typical class size is for the welding schools you are reviewing. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can experience just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with several of the students and get their opinions. Also, speak with some of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.
Flexible Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new profession while still employed at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near White Plains NY, verify that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you decide on 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.
Online Welder Training Programs
Welding is truly a manual type of trade, and consequently not extremely suitable for training online. Having said that, there are some online welding programs offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater White Plains NY area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily deal with such subjects 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 until you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be performed online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for experienced welders that want to advance their expertise or possibly earn a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely careful and make sure that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Attending a Welding School in White Plains NY?
If you have decided to enroll in a welder training program in the White Plains New York area, you may find the following information both informative and helpful about the location of your new school campus.
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is the county seat and commercial hub of Westchester, an affluent suburban county just north of New York City that is home to almost one million people. White Plains is located in south-central Westchester, with its downtown (Mamaroneck Avenue) 25 miles (40 km) north of Midtown Manhattan.
As of 2013, the city's total population was estimated to be 57,866, up from 53,077 at the 2010 census.[5] According to the city government, the daytime weekday population is estimated at 250,000.[6] The city was ranked third in the top 10 places to live in New York for 2014, according to national online real estate brokerage Movoto.[7]
At the time of the Dutch settlement of Manhattan in the early 17th century, the region had been used as farmland by the Weckquaeskeck tribe, members of the Mohican nation and was called "Quarropas".[8] To early traders it was known as "the White Plains", either from the groves of white balsam which are said to have covered it,[9] or from the heavy mist that local tradition suggests hovered over the swamplands near the Bronx River.[10] The first non-native settlement came in November 1683, when a party of Connecticut Puritans moved westward from an earlier settlement in Rye and bought about 4,400 acres (18 km2), presumably from the Weckquaeskeck.[8] However, John Richbell of Mamaroneck claimed to have earlier title to much of the territory through his purchase of a far larger plot extending 20 miles (32 km) inland, perhaps from a different tribe.[10] The matter wasn't settled until 1721, when a Royal Patent for White Plains was granted by King George II.[10]
Pick the Best Welding Technical School White Plains NY
Picking the right welder school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in How Long To Become A Welder. However, as we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world context, and the training program 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 have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the 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 right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional welder in White Plains NY.
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