How to Choose the Right Welder Trade School near Duluth Georgia

Enrolling in the right welding school near Duluth GA is an important first step to starting your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to pick from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have narrowed down your choices, how do you select the best one? A number of prospective students start by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have located those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations when evaluating welding trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before beginning your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s sensible to create a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Degree and Certificate Programs

There are multiple options to obtain training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can receive a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available along with an apprenticeship program. Below are short explanations of the most typical welding programs offered in the Duluth GA.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally made available by trade and technical schools and take about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, designed 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 provides a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Some municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so make sure to find out for your location of future employment. As required, the welding school you pick should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to providing the proper training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Options

There are a number of organizations that provide welder certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Duluth GA employers not only expect a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available based on the kind of work that the welder does. Just 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 specific types of welds
• Operate based on contract specifications

As formerly mentioned, many cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and verify that the welding tech school you decide on preps you for certification if needed.

Topics to Ask Welder Technical Schools

As soon as you have chosen the credential you would like to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you probably know, there are many welding vocational and trade schools in the Duluth GA area. That’s why it’s necessary to determine in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered 2 significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the school you choose is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are some additional factors you may need to evaluate before picking a welder vocational school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welding vocational school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 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, for example Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you get a superior education, the accreditation can also assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available in Duluth GA for schools that are not accredited. Also, 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 welding diploma or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools must have partnerships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. Older 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 develop associations within the Duluth GA welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an academic program and finish it. It’s important that the welder program you choose has a higher completion rate. A reduced rate might signify that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only verify that the program has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Duluth GA employer relationships to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your selection of welder schools to two or three options, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Make sure 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 unsure 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 Duluth GA welding contractor if they can give you some tips.

School Location. Although we previously briefly discussed the relevance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to cover. You should remember that unless you can move, the welding program you select needs to be within commuting distance of your Duluth GA home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides relocation expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, often their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in an area or state where you subsequently will wish to work.

Small Classes. Individualized training is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in larger classes and not obtain much one-on-one instruction. Find out what the average class size is for the welder programs you are reviewing. Ask if you can sit in on some classes so that you can witness how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, talk with some of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, talk with a couple of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new profession while still working at their present job. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Duluth GA, verify that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, verify that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Online Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

Welding is very much a hands-on kind of trade, and consequently not extremely compatible with online training. Even so, there are a few online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Duluth GA area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily cover such subjects 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 handle 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 desire to advance their expertise or possibly obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely careful and verify that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Attending a Welding School in Duluth GA?

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

Choose the Right Welding Trade Program Duluth GA

Selecting the right welding training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Welding Engineer Schools. However, as we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any welder training program that you are evaluating 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 instruction needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every program provides different options for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional welder in Duluth GA.