How to Choose the Right Welder Certification Program near Woodridge Illinois
Locating the right welder school near Woodridge IL is an important first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to pick from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you select the right one? Most prospective students begin by looking at the schools that are closest to their residences. When they have located those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are important concerns 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 starting your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s prudent to create a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.
Welder Degree and Certificate Training
There are a number of options available to obtain 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 offered in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief explanations of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Woodridge IL.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually made available by technical and trade schools and require about 1 year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed largely to develop welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional skills for experienced welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to finish and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more well-rounded 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 prerequisites for welders, so make sure to find out for your location of potential employment. As required, the welding school you pick should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will have to take in addition to furnishing the proper training to become a professional welder.
Welding Certification Alternatives
There are a number of institutions that provide welding certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Woodridge IL employers not only require a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned organization like 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 attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Operate in compliance with specific codes
- Work with certain metal thicknesses
- Work with various types of welds
- Operate according to contract specifications
As earlier stated, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, some also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and make certain that the welder vocational school you choose prepares you for certification as needed.
Points to Ask Welder Tech Schools
As soon as you have chosen the credential you want to earn, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to assess schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welder vocational and trade schools in the Woodridge IL area. That’s why it’s essential to determine up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously covered two significant ones that many people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that need to be looked at. After all, the program you decide on is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are more factors you might want to evaluate before selecting a welder technical school.
Accreditation. It’s very important that the welder trade school you decide on is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two basic kinds 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 confirm that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you get a superior education, the accreditation may also assist in getting financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable in Woodridge IL 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. A large number of welder degree or diploma programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place 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. These schools should have associations with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can help students find employment and establish relationships within the Woodridge IL 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 welder program you pick has a higher completion rate. A low rate may indicate that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the quality of training. A higher 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 Woodridge IL contacts to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.
Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have limited your selection of welding schools to two or three possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be taught on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be using in the field. If you are unsure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Woodridge IL welding contractor if they can give you some tips.
School Location. Although we previously briefly discussed the significance of location, there are a few additional points that we need to cover. You should remember that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welding school you pick needs to be within driving distance of your Woodridge IL home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, apart from moving costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school needs to be in an area or state where you ultimately will want to work.
Smaller Classes. One-on-one instruction is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to be lost in larger classes and not receive much one-on-one instruction. Find out what the typical class size is for the welding programs you are looking at. Ask if you can attend some classes so that you can witness just how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their evaluations. Also, speak 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 Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new profession while still employed at their present 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 at night or on weekends near Woodridge IL, confirm that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, verify that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, illness or family circumstances.
Online Welding Courses
Welding is truly a hands-on type of profession, and consequently not very suitable for online training. However, there are a few online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Woodridge IL area that may count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a foundation to start their training and education. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be done online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for seasoned welders that would like to advance their knowledge or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely cautious and make sure that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Attending a Welding School in Woodridge IL?
If you have decided to enroll in a welder training program in the Woodridge Illinois area, you may find the following information both informative and helpful about the location of your new school campus.
Woodridge, Illinois
Woodridge is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, with portions in Will and Cook counties, and a south-western suburb of Chicago. It uses the 630 and 331 area codes. The population was 32,971 at the 2010 census.[3] Woodridge is the home of the Home Run Inn pizzeria chain and was the home of Pabst Brewing Company from 2006-2011.[4]
Woodridge was incorporated on August 24, 1959, with less than 500 residents, on a wooded area of high ground overlooking the DuPage River's East Branch. Woodridge is a young community with the vast majority of its homes, businesses, and churches constructed after the 1950s. Woodridge was founded by a housing developer, Albert Kaufman,[5] who was largely responsible for the creation of the village.
According to the 2010 census, Woodridge has a total area of 9.582 square miles (24.82 km2), of which 9.42 square miles (24.40 km2) (or 98.31%) is land and 0.162 square miles (0.42 km2) (or 1.69%) is water.[8]
Select the Right Welding Vocational School Woodridge IL
Choosing the right welder school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Learning MIG Welding. However, as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any welder training program that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ 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 training program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new career as a professional welder in Woodridge IL.
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