How to Choose the Best Welder Degree Program near Franklin Ohio
Finding the ideal welder school near Franklin OH is an essential first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you select the best one? A number of people start by checking out the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have located those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are important issues when examining welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before beginning 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 examine our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.
Request Free Information on Welding Schools Near You
[campusexplorer header_text=”Find Welding Schools Near You!” aos=”53237562″ concentration=”025A8616″ tracking=”WELDER-5″]
Welder Degree and Certificate Training
There are a number of options available to get training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can obtain a diploma, a certificate 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 made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Below are short summaries of the most common welding programs available in the Franklin OH area.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally made available by trade and technical schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned mainly to develop 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 finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.
A number of municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so be sure to check for your location of future employment. As required, the welding school you select should prep you for any licensing exams that you will need to take in addition to providing the suitable training to become a qualified welder.
[campusexplorer header_text=”Find Welding Schools Near You!” aos=”53237562″ concentration=”025A8616″ is_lightbox=”1″ lightbox_btn_text=”Click Here to Get Free Information on Welding Schools Near You!” tracking=”WELDER-5LB”]
Welder Certification Choices
There are multiple institutions that offer welding certifications, which assess the skill level and knowledge of those applying. A large number of Franklin OH employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available dependent on the kind of work that the welder performs. Just some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Operate in compliance with specific codes
- Work with certain metal thicknesses
- Work with specific kinds of welds
- Work according to contract specifications
As already stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, some also require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and make certain that the welder tech school you decide on preps you for certification if needed.
Topics to Ask Welder Technical Schools
Once you have decided on the credential you want to attain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to evaluate schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of welding trade and technical schools in the Franklin OH area. That’s why it’s essential to establish up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have previously discussed 2 significant ones that most people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the school you select is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are more factors you may need to evaluate before choosing a welder tech school.
Accreditation. It’s essential that the welding technical school you pick is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are 2 standard types of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school has, for instance Welding Technology. So verify that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school alone. 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 getting financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable in Franklin OH for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.
Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welding diploma or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools should have associations with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. Older 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 relationships within the Franklin OH 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 welding school you choose has a higher completion rate. A lower rate could mean that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also an indication of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Franklin OH contacts to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.
Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. After you have limited your selection of welding schools to two or three options, you should think out going to the campuses to inspect their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be taught on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with in the field. If you are uncertain 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 Franklin OH welding professional if they can give you a few suggestions.
School Location. Even though we already briefly covered the significance of location, there are a few additional points that we should address. You should remember that unless you can relocate, the welder program you choose needs to be within commuting distance of your Franklin OH home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from moving costs there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, most 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 desire to work.
Smaller Classes. Personalized training is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to be overlooked in larger classes and not receive much one-on-one training. Find out what the average class size is for the welding programs you are looking at. Inquire if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can experience just how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their opinions. Also, talk with some of the instructors and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.
Convenient Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still employed at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Franklin OH, make sure that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, verify that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any because of illness, work or family responsibilities.
Online Welder Courses
Welding is very much a manual type of vocation, and consequently not extremely suitable for online training. Having said that, there are a few online welding programs offered by various community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Franklin OH area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses primarily cover such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a foundation to begin their education and training. However, the most significant 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 performed 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 want to advance their expertise or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding certificate or degree program, be very cautious and verify that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Free Info on Fast Track Welding Programs Franklin OH
Picking the ideal welder school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Free Info on Fast Track Welding Programs and wanted more information on the topic Free Info on Evening Welding Programs. However, as we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any welder training that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification as well. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new career as a professional welder in Franklin OH.
Other Ohio Welder Locations
Franklin, Ohio
One of the first four post offices in Warren County was established in Franklin in 1805. The first postmaster was John N.C. Schenck, brother of General Schenck. The Franklin Post Office still stands (in a different location), and is one of four sites in Franklin listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with the Mackinaw Historic District.
Construction of the Miami and Erie Canal occurred between 1825 and 1845. The canal followed the Great Miami River through Franklin, and the boat traffic led to new commerce. The town soon had a pork slaughterhouse, barrel making factory, sawmill, and whiskey distillery.[7]
Franklin's first mayor, Dr. Absalom Death, was elected at a tavern meeting in 1837. Dr. Death went on to be director of a medical college in Cincinnati. In its history, two doctors in Franklin have been named "Dr. Death".[7]
Business Results 1 - 10 of 6
1 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 