How to Pick the Right Welder Trade School near Mcdonough Georgia
Enrolling in the ideal welder technical school near Mcdonough GA is an essential first step to starting your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have narrowed down your alternatives, how do you pick the best one? Many prospective students start by checking out the schools that are closest to their residences. When they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary issues when examining welder technical 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 prudent to create a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.
Welder Certificate and Degree Training Classes
There are multiple options available to receive training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can obtain a diploma, a certificate 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 in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are short descriptions of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Mcdonough GA.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by trade and technical schools and take about 1 year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned largely 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 complete and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.
A number of states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore don’t forget to find out for your location of potential employment. If needed, the welder school you pick should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to supplying the suitable training to become a qualified welder.
Welder Certification Alternatives
There are a number of institutions that offer welder certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Mcdonough GA employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available dependent on the kind of work that the welder does. Some 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
- Operate according to contract specifications
As already mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number also require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and verify that the welding tech school you select preps you for certification if needed.
What to Ask Welder Vocational Schools
As soon as you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you probably know, there are many welder trade and vocational schools in the Mcdonough GA area. That’s why it’s important to determine in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already discussed a couple of 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 considered. After all, the school you pick is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are some additional factors you might need to evaluate before selecting a welder technical school.
Accreditation. It’s essential that the welding tech school you decide on is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two basic kinds of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So verify that the program you select is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, 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 obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available in Mcdonough GA for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.
Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous welding diploma or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools must have relationships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and establish associations within the Mcdonough GA welding community.
Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an academic program and complete it. It’s important that the welding program you choose has a higher completion rate. A lower rate could mean that the students who joined 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 trade, but additionally that it has the network of Mcdonough GA contacts to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment after graduation.
Modern Facilities and Equipment. After you have limited your selection of welder schools to 2 or 3 options, you should think out visiting the campuses to look over their facilities. Confirm that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be using on the job. 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 Mcdonough GA welding professional if they can give you some tips.
School Location. Although we previously briefly covered the importance of location, there are a few additional points that we need to deal with. You should keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the welding program you pick must be within driving distance of your Mcdonough GA home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, besides relocation expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welding certificate programs offered by community colleges. Also, 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 needs to be in a region or state where you subsequently will want to work.
Small Classes. Individualized training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get lost in larger classes and not receive much individualized instruction. Find out what the usual class size is for the welder programs you are reviewing. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can experience just how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, speak with several of the students and get their evaluations. Also, chat with a few of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.
Flexible Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Mcdonough GA, make certain that the schools you are assessing offer those choices. If you can only enroll part-time, confirm that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any because of illness, work or family circumstances.
Online Welding Training Programs
Welding is very much a manual kind of vocation, and for that reason not very compatible with online training. However, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Mcdonough GA area that can count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses primarily cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a foundation to start their education and training. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials until 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 experienced welders that want to advance their knowledge or possibly earn a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and verify that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Attending a Welding School in Mcdonough GA?
If you have decided to enroll in a welder training program in the Mcdonough Georgia area, you may find the following information both informative and helpful about the location of your new school campus.
McDonough, Georgia
McDonough is a city in Henry County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Its population was 22,084 at the 2010 census,[4] up from 8,493 in 2000. The city is the county seat of Henry County.[5]
The town was named for naval officer Commodore Thomas Macdonough[6] and founded in 1823 around a traditional town square design. The buildings surrounding the square are intact, although there are some vacancies. The county courthouse and historic jail building are on the north side near the Welcome Center in a historically maintained Standard Oil service station, built in 1920. The station also houses the Main Street Program Office and Hospitality and Tourism Office. In the center of the square is a monument to Henry County's Confederate dead.
One block east of the square, the town's original cotton warehouse has been replaced with the Henry County Judicial Center. In the same area the Henry County Courthouse Annex has an original oil on canvas "Cotton Gin" (4½ by 11 feet) by artist Jean Charlot. He painted this oil in 1942 for the town post office. His works can be found all over the world in everything from children's books to large murals.
Select the Ideal Welding Trade School Mcdonough GA
Picking the best welder school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in College Welding. However, as we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any welding training program that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type 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 unique options for certification also. Probably The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional welder in Mcdonough GA.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 14
3 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
12 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
4 Reviews 