How to Enroll In the Right Welding Training Class near Prentiss Mississippi
Enrolling in the right welder school near Prentiss MS is an important first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you pick the right one? Many people begin by looking at the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have found those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are crucial concerns when reviewing welding trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s wise to establish a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.
Welding Degree and Certificate Training
There are a number of options to get training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can receive a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are short explanations of the most common welding programs available in the Prentiss MS.
- 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, designed mainly to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized skills for experienced welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take two years to complete and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still furnishing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
A number of states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, so make sure to find out for your location of potential employment. If required, the welding school you pick should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will need to take in addition to providing the proper training to become a professional welder.
Welding Certification Alternatives
There are several institutions that provide welder certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Prentiss MS employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a highly regarded organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available based on the type of work that the welder does. A few of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Work in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specified metal thicknesses
- Work with various kinds of welds
- Operate in compliance with contract specifications
As previously stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, many also require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an extremely skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and verify that the welder vocational school you decide on preps you for certification if needed.
Topics to Ask Welding Trade Schools
Once you have decided on the credential you want to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you probably know, there are many welder vocational and trade schools in the Prentiss MS area. That’s why it’s essential to determine in advance what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously discussed a couple of important ones that many people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the program you decide on is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are more factors you might need to consider before choosing a welding tech school.
Accreditation. It’s very important that the welding trade school you decide on is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two basic types of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school offers, for example Welding Technology. So verify that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, the accreditation may also assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not available in Prentiss MS for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.
Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of welder diploma or degree programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools must have partnerships 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 referrals. These programs can help students find employment and develop associations within the Prentiss MS welding community.
Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an instructional program and finish it. It’s important that the welder program you select has a higher completion rate. A lower rate may mean that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. 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 school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Prentiss MS employer relationships to assist students obtain apprenticeships or employment after graduation.
Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your choice of welder programs to two or three options, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be using 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 Prentiss MS welding contractor if they can give you a few suggestions.
School Location. Even though we already briefly discussed the relevance of location, there are a few additional points that we should deal with. You should bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the welding school you choose must be within commuting distance of your Prentiss MS home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, apart from moving expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship 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 desire to work.
Small Classes. One-on-one instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in larger classes and not obtain much individualized instruction. Ask what the typical class size is for the welder schools you are looking at. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can witness just how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, speak with a few of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.
Flexible Class Scheduling. Many people learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Prentiss MS, confirm that the schools you are considering offer those alternatives. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any due to work, sickness or family circumstances.
Online Welder Training
Welding is truly a manual kind of vocation, and for that reason not extremely compatible with training online. Even so, there are a few online welding programs offered by various community colleges and trade schools in the greater Prentiss MS area that may be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily deal with such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a basis to begin their education and training. Nevertheless, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be performed online. These skills need to 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 perhaps attain 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 Prentiss MS?
If you have decided to enroll in a welder training program in the Prentiss Mississippi area, you may find the following information both informative and helpful about the location of your new school campus.
Prentiss, Mississippi
A depot was established in Blountville when the Pearl & Leaf Rivers Railroad (later Illinois Central Railroad) was completed in 1903. That same year the town was officially established and named "Prentiss", possibly after Seargent Smith Prentiss, a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and U.S. Representative from Mississippi, or after Prentiss Webb Berry, a prominent landowner in the area. When Jefferson Davis County was created in 1906, a special election determined that Prentiss would serve as the county seat.[4][6][7]
In 1907, Jonas Edward Johnson and his wife Bertha LaBranche Johnson established the Prentiss Institute. Situated on 40 acres (16 ha) of land, with remnants of slave quarters on the property, it was considered one of the finest schools for African Americans in Mississippi. The school at first taught only the elementary grades, and began with 40 students whose tuition was often paid with chickens, eggs and produce. A Rosenwald classroom was built on the campus in 1926, and by 1953 the "Prentiss Normal and Industrial Institute" included a high school and junior college, had 44 faculty and more than 700 students, and included 24 buildings and 400 acres (160 ha) of farmland, pasture and forest. In 1955, Heifer International donated 15 pure-bred cows to the school with the intention that the offspring be donated to needy farm families. It is noteworthy that the school gave some of the animals to poor white families. The school closed in 1989 and was designated an official Mississippi landmark in 2002.[8][9]
Prentiss is located in central Jefferson Davis County at 31°35′49″N 89°52′11″W / 31.596990°N 89.869776°W / 31.596990; -89.869776.[12]U.S. Route 84 passes north and west of the town center on a bypass; the four-lane highway leads east 20 miles (32 km) to Collins and west 16 miles (26 km) to Monticello. Mississippi Highway 13 passes through the town slightly east of the center; it leads north 27 miles (43 km) to Mendenhall and south 26 miles (42 km) to Columbia. Mississippi Highway 42 leads southeast from Prentiss 11 miles (18 km) to Bassfield.
Pick the Ideal Welding Technical School Prentiss MS
Selecting the ideal welder training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in TIG Welding Lessons. However, as we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the programs you are considering. It’s a must that any welding school that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps the best 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 sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Prentiss MS.
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