How to Select the Best Welder Certification Class near Montgomery Illinois
Selecting the right welder trade school near Montgomery IL is an important first step to beginning 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 right one? Most prospective students start by reviewing the schools that are closest to their homes. Once they have identified those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary concerns when examining welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns 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 prudent to establish 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.
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Welder Certificate and Degree Programs
There are multiple options to get 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 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. Following are short explanations of the most common welding programs offered in the Montgomery IL area.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are normally made available by technical and trade schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, created largely to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental skills for working welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
A number of municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to check for your location of potential employment. If required, the welder school you choose should prep you for any licensing exams that you will need to pass in addition to providing the proper training to become a qualified welder.
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Welder Certification Choices
There are several institutions that provide welder certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Montgomery IL employers not only expect a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available based on the type of work that the welder performs. Just some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Work in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specific metal thicknesses
- Work with certain types of welds
- Work based on contract specifications
As earlier stated, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number additionally require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and verify that the welder technical school you choose readies you for certification as needed.
What to Ask Welding Trade Schools
As soon as you have decided on the credential you would like to attain, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you probably know, there are many welder vocational and trade schools in the Montgomery IL area. That’s why it’s necessary to decide in advance what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously covered two important ones that most people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that should be considered. After all, the program you pick is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are some additional factors you might need to evaluate before selecting a welder tech school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding tech school you pick is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. 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, such as Welding Technology. So verify that the program you select is accredited, not just the school itself. 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). Besides helping make sure that you get a superior education, the accreditation can also assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Montgomery IL for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.
Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. A large number of welder degree or diploma programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools must have partnerships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and establish associations within the Montgomery IL welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that enroll in an educational program and complete it. It’s crucial 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 instruction, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the program has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Montgomery IL employer relationships to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.
Modern Equipment and Facilities. After you have limited your choice of welder programs to two or three options, you should consider going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Make sure that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are modern. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be using on the job. If you are uncertain what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Montgomery IL welding contractor if they can give you some tips.
School Location. Even though we previously briefly discussed the importance of location, there are a few additional points that we need to cover. You should bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the welding program you pick needs to be within commuting distance of your Montgomery IL home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement program, often their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school needs to be in an area or state where you ultimately will desire to work.
Smaller Classes. One-on-one training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in larger classes and not obtain much individualized training. Find out what the average class size is for the welding schools you are reviewing. Inquire if you can attend a few classes so that you can see just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their opinions. Also, speak with some of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.
Flexible Class Schedules. Some people learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Montgomery IL, make sure that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
Online Welder Classes
Welding is truly a manual type of vocation, and consequently not extremely compatible with training online. Having said that, there are some online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Montgomery IL area that may count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses primarily deal with such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to start their training and education. 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 accomplished online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that want to advance their knowledge or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be very cautious and confirm that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Top Accelerated Welding Courses Montgomery IL
Choosing the best welder training program will probably 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 Top Accelerated Welding Courses and wanted more information on the topic Best Local Welding Courses. However, as we have covered in this article, there are many things 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 assessing 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 on. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your final 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. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Montgomery IL.
Other Illinois Welder Locations
Montgomery, Illinois
Montgomery is a village in Kane and Kendall counties, Illinois, as well as a Chicago suburb. The population was 18,438 at the 2010 census,[3] up from 5,471 at the 2000 census. As of 2017 the estimated population was 19,701.[2] Between 2000 and 2010 the village population grew 237 percent, making Montgomery the ninth fastest growing municipality in Illinois during the decade.
Montgomery is located in southern Kane County and northern Kendall County at 41°43′08″N 88°23′32″W / 41.71889°N 88.39222°W / 41.71889; -88.39222 (41.7188316, -88.3920915).[4] It is bordered to the north and east by Aurora, to the south by Oswego and Boulder Hill, and to the southwest by Yorkville. The village sits on both sides of the Fox River. U.S. Route 30 passes through the village, leading southeast 11 miles (18 km) to Plainfield and northwest 7 miles (11 km) to Sugar Grove. Illinois Route 31 runs through the village on the west side of the Fox River, leading northeast 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to the center of Aurora and southwest 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to the center of Oswego. Illinois Route 25 runs along the east side of the Fox River, also leading to Aurora and Oswego.
According to the 2010 census, Montgomery has a total area of 9.512 square miles (24.64 km2), of which 9.34 square miles (24.19 km2) (or 98.19%) is land and 0.172 square miles (0.45 km2) (or 1.81%) is water.[5]
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