How to Enroll In the Best Welder Technical School near Lakehurst New Jersey
Selecting the right welding trade school near Lakehurst NJ is an important first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to choose 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 begin by checking out the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have found those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial issues when examining welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s wise to develop 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.
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Welding Certificate and Degree Training
There are a number of options available to receive training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available combined with an apprenticeship program. Below are short explanations of the most common welding programs offered in the Lakehurst NJ area.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally made available by trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, created mainly to teach 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 2 years to finish and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.
A number of municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore make sure to check for your location of potential employment. As required, the welding school you choose should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will need to take in addition to providing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.
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Welder Certification Choices
There are a number of institutions that offer welder certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Lakehurst NJ employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a highly regarded agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered 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
- Work in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specified metal thicknesses
- Work with certain kinds of welds
- Operate according to contract specifications
As already stated, many cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number additionally require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and qualified welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and make sure that the welder trade school you select prepares you for certification as needed.
What to Ask Welding Tech Schools
After 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 welding trade and technical schools in the Lakehurst NJ area. That’s why it’s essential to establish up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already discussed two important ones that many people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, 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 training that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are more factors you might need to evaluate before choosing a welding technical school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder trade school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are 2 basic kinds of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school offers, for example Welding Technology. So verify that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, 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 ensure that you receive a quality education, the accreditation may also help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered in Lakehurst NJ 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. Numerous welder degree or certificate programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools should have partnerships 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 assist students in finding employment and develop associations within the Lakehurst NJ welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an academic program and finish it. It’s important that the welder school you choose has a high completion rate. A reduced rate could signify that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy with the training, the instructors, 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 school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Lakehurst NJ employer relationships to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.
Modern Equipment and Facilities. After you have narrowed down your selection of welder schools to two or three options, you should consider going to the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with on the job. If you are uncertain what to look for, and are currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Lakehurst NJ welding contractor if they can give you a few suggestions.
School Location. Although we already briefly covered the importance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we need to cover. You should remember that unless you are able to relocate, the welding school you choose must be within commuting distance of your Lakehurst NJ home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welder diploma programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement program, most likely their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school should be in an area or state where you ultimately will wish to work.
Smaller Classes. Individualized instruction is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get overlooked in larger classes and not get much one-on-one training. Find out what the average class size is for the welding schools you are reviewing. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can experience how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, talk with several of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, speak with some of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.
Flexible Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Lakehurst NJ, verify that the schools you are looking at offer those options. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Online Welder Schools
Welding is very much a manual kind of vocation, and consequently not very compatible with training online. However, there are some online welding classes offered by various community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Lakehurst NJ area that can be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These courses mainly cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a foundation to start their education and training. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be done online. These skills must 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 perhaps obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding degree or certificate program, be very cautious and make sure that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Free Info on Night Welding Colleges Lakehurst NJ
Picking the right welder training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Free Info on Night Welding Colleges and wanted more information on the topic Affordable Accredited Welding Colleges. However, as we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any welder school that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional welder in Lakehurst NJ.
Other New Jersey Welder Locations
Lakehurst, New Jersey
Lakehurst is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 2,654,[8][9][10][11] reflecting an increase of 132 (+5.2%) from the 2,522 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 556 (-18.1%) from the 3,078 counted in the 1990 Census.[20]
Lakehurst was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 7, 1921, from portions of Manchester Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 24, 1921.[21] The borough is named for its location near lakes and woods.[22]
The community of Lakehurst first reached international fame as a winter resort around the turn of the 20th century, following the opening of the Pine Tree Inn in 1898. In 1911, the rope factory in the town burned down, prompting the formation of a volunteer fire department.[23]
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