Tag Archives: Local Welding Training near Bakersfield CA 93301

Welding Certificate Courses Bakersfield CA

How to Pick the Right Welder Certification Program near Bakersfield California

Bakersfield CA welding school graduateSelecting the right welding technical school near Bakersfield CA is an essential first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you select the best one? Most people begin by reviewing the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have found those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary considerations when reviewing welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations 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 sensible to establish a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Degree and Certificate Training Courses

Bakersfield CA welding trade school studentThere are several options to obtain training as a welder in a trade or technical 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 programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are short descriptions of the most common welding programs offered in the Bakersfield CA.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally made available by trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned largely to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental skills for working welders.
  • Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Many municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to find out for your location of potential employment. If required, the welder school you pick should ready you for any licensing exams that you will need to pass in addition to providing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welding Certification Options

Bakersfield CA welder working in constructionThere are various institutions that provide welding certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Bakersfield CA employers not only expect 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 available based upon the type of work that the welder does. Some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

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

As formerly stated, some states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and verify that the welding tech school you select preps you for certification as needed.

Questions to Ask Welder Tech Programs

Questions to ask Bakersfield CA welding schoolsWhen you have chosen the credential you want to earn, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you probably know, there are many welding trade and vocational schools in the Bakersfield CA area. That’s why it’s essential to determine in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have previously discussed a couple of important ones that many people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the school you select is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are more factors you may need to consider before choosing a welder tech school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welding tech school you pick is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are 2 basic 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 has, for instance Welding Technology. So verify that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you get an excellent education, the accreditation can also assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available in Bakersfield CA for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of welding certificate or degree programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place 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 should have relationships 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 associations within the Bakersfield CA welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an academic program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welding program you select has a high completion rate. A lower rate could signify that the students who were in the program were unhappy with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only verify that the program has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Bakersfield CA employer relationships to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have decreased your choice of welding programs to 2 or 3 options, you should think out visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be taught on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with in the field. If you are not sure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Bakersfield CA welding professional if they can give you a few suggestions.

School Location. Although we already briefly covered the relevance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we need to deal with. You should remember that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welder program you select needs to be within commuting distance of your Bakersfield CA home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides moving costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welder diploma programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement program, often their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school needs to be in an area or state where you subsequently will desire to work.

Small Classes. Personalized training is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to be overlooked in larger classes and not get much personalized training. Ask what the usual class size is for the welder schools you are considering. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can observe how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with some of the students and get their feedback. Also, speak with a few of the instructors and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new trade while still working at their present job. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Bakersfield CA, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Online Welding Courses

student attending welding classes online in Bakersfield CAWelding is truly a manual kind of vocation, and therefore not extremely compatible with training online. Even so, there are some online welding classes offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Bakersfield CA area that may count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses primarily cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to initiate their education and training. However, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be performed online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that would like to advance their expertise or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be very cautious and verify that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Attending a Welding School in Bakersfield CA?

If you have decided to enroll in a welder training program in the Bakersfield California area, you may find the following information both informative and helpful about the location of your new school campus.

Bakersfield, California

Bakersfield is a city and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. It covers about 142 square miles (370 km2)[13] near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population is approximately 380,000,[10] making it the ninth-most populous city in California and the 52nd-most populous city in the nation. The Bakersfield–Delano Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Kern County, had a 2010 census population of 839,631, making it the 62nd largest metropolitan area in the United States.[14] The more built-up urban area that includes Bakersfield and areas immediately around the city, such as East Bakersfield, Oildale and Rosedale, has a population of over 500,000. Bakersfield is a charter city.

The city is a significant hub for both agriculture and oil production. Kern County is the most productive oil-producing county,[15] and the fourth most productive agricultural county (by value) in the United States.[16] Industries include natural gas and other energy extraction, aerospace, mining, petroleum refining, manufacturing, distribution, food processing, and corporate regional offices.[17] The city is also the birthplace of the country music genre known as the Bakersfield sound.

Archaeological evidence indicates the presence of Native American settlements dating back thousands of years.[18] The Yokuts lived in lodges[19] along the branches of the Kern River Delta and hunted antelope, tule elk, deer, bear, fish, and game birds. In 1776, Spanish missionary Father Francisco Garcés became the first European to explore the area. Owing to the remoteness and inaccessibility of the region, however, the Yokuts remained largely isolated until after the Mexican War of Independence, when Mexican settlers began to migrate to the area. Following the discovery of gold in California in 1848, settlers flooded into the San Joaquin Valley. In 1851, gold was discovered along the Kern River in the southern Sierra Nevada, and in 1865, oil was discovered in the valley.[20] The Bakersfield area, once a tule-reed-covered marshland, was first known as Kern Island to the handful of pioneers who built log cabins there in 1860. The area was subject to periodic flooding from the Kern River, which occupied what is now the downtown area, and experienced outbreaks of malaria.[21]

Pick the Best Welding Tech Program Bakersfield CA

Selecting the right welding training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Welding Certificate Courses. However, as we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare between the programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every program offers different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Bakersfield CA.

 

The location could not be found.

 

Business Results 1 - 10 of 13

Rockys Welding Service
1 Reviews
Contractors
Phone:
Bakersfield, CA 93314

Leal Jesse Welding Service
1 Reviews
Metal Fabricators
Phone:
6001 E Brundage Ln, Bakersfield, CA 93307

California Air Systems
3 Reviews
Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC, Metal Fabricators, Home Automation
Phone:
501 E 19th St, Bakersfield, CA 93305

Javier's Custom Welding
1 Reviews
Metal Fabricators
Phone:
327 Kentucky St, Bakersfield, CA 93305

American Fabrication
1 Reviews
Metal Fabricators
Phone:
4940 Gilmore Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93308

Adrijon Ironworks
4 Reviews
Metal Fabricators, Fences & Gates
Phone:
2231 N St, Bakersfield, CA 93301

B & G Machine and Welding
1 Reviews
Metal Fabricators, Machine Shops
Phone:
3801 Gilmore Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93308

Tiger Tanks
1 Reviews
Metal Fabricators
Phone:
3397 Edison Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93307

Tip Top Garage Doors & Gate Repair
4 Reviews
Garage Door Services
Phone:
Bakersfield, CA 93309

Jerry & Keith's Truck Repair & Parts
2 Reviews
Commercial Truck Repair, Trailer Repair
Phone:
2814 Landco Dr, Bakersfield, CA 93308