How to Enroll In the Right Welding Trade School near Suwanee Georgia

Choosing the right welder vocational school near Suwanee GA is an essential first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to select from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you pick the best one? Many people start by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations when examining welding technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations 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 delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

There are several options to get training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma 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. Below are brief descriptions of the most typical welding programs offered in the Suwanee GA.

• Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally made available by technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, created mainly to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional skills for working welders.
• Associate Degree Programs will take two years to complete 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 readies students to enter the workforce.

Some states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore be sure to check for your location of future employment. If required, the welder school you select should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will need to pass in addition to providing the suitable training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Options

There are a number of organizations that provide welder certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Suwanee GA employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available based on the type of work that the welder does. Some of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to

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

As already mentioned, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, many also require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and make sure that the welder technical school you decide on prepares you for certification if needed.

What to Ask Welding Trade Schools

As soon as you have chosen the credential you want to earn, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to compare schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of welding vocational and trade schools in the Suwanee GA area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already covered 2 important ones that many people look at 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 program you pick is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are more factors you may want to consider before selecting a welding tech school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder vocational school you pick 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 offers, for instance Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you get an excellent education, the accreditation may also assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable in Suwanee 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 as well.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welding degree or diploma programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These 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 more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop associations within the Suwanee GA welding community.

Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an academic program and complete it. It’s essential that the welder school you choose has a high completion rate. A low rate might indicate that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication of the quality of training. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Suwanee GA contacts to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment after graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. After you have limited your choice of welding programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Make sure that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are modern. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with 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. Otherwise, ask a local Suwanee GA welding professional if they can give you a few tips.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly covered the relevance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we should cover. You should bear in mind that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welder program you pick needs to be within commuting distance of your Suwanee GA home. If you do choose to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welding certificate programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement program, most likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in an area or state where you ultimately will wish to work.

Small Classes. Personalized training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get overlooked in bigger classes and not get much personalized instruction. Find out what the typical class size is for the welding schools you are looking at. Inquire if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can experience how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with several of the students and get their evaluations. Also, chat with a couple of the teachers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new profession while still working at their current job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Suwanee GA, verify that the schools you are assessing provide those alternatives. If you can only enroll part-time, make certain that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Online Welding Courses

Welding is truly a hands-on type of profession, and for that reason not extremely suitable for online training. Having said that, there are some online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Suwanee GA area that can count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a foundation to initiate their education and training. However, the most critical 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 have to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that desire to advance their expertise or possibly obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be very cautious and make certain that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Attending a Welding School in Suwanee GA?

If you have decided to enroll in a welder training program in the Suwanee 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 Suwanee GA

Picking the ideal welder school will undoubtedly 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 Welding Trainer. However, as we have discussed in this article, there are several 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 assessing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides unique options for certification also. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Suwanee GA.