How to Choose the Right Welding Certification Class near Orrstown Pennsylvania
Choosing the right welding technical school near Orrstown PA is an important first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to pick from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you pick the best one? Many prospective students start by reviewing the schools that are closest to their residences. When they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary issues when reviewing welder vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s sensible to develop a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.
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Welder Certificate and Degree Training Courses
There are a number of alternatives available to receive 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 Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered along with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief summaries of the most typical welding programs available in the Orrstown PA area.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by technical and trade schools and require about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned 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 2 years to finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still supplying the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
A number of states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, so be sure to check for your location of potential employment. If needed, the welder school you choose should ready you for any licensing exams that you will have to take in addition to supplying the suitable training to become a professional welder.
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Welding Certification Options
There are several organizations that offer welding certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Orrstown PA employers not only expect a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based on the type of work that the welder performs. Some of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Work in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specific metal thicknesses
- Work with specific kinds of welds
- Work according to contract specifications
As formerly stated, some states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are a highly skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and make sure that the welder vocational school you decide on preps you for certification as needed.
Questions to Ask Welder Vocational Programs
As soon as you have decided on the credential you want to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to compare schools. As you probably know, there are numerous welder vocational and trade schools in the Orrstown PA area. That’s why it’s important to decide up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have previously covered a couple of important ones that most people consider 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 decide on is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are more factors you might need to consider before picking a welding tech school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding trade school you decide on is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two standard kinds 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, such as Welding Technology. So verify that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, 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). Besides helping make sure that you receive a quality education, the accreditation may also assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not offered in Orrstown PA for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.
Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. Many welder degree or certificate programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are looking at help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools should have associations with local unions and other 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 Orrstown PA welding community.
Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an instructional program and finish it. It’s important that the welding school you choose has a higher completion rate. A lower rate may signify that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy 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 school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Orrstown PA employer relationships to assist students obtain apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.
Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have limited your selection of welder programs to two or three options, you should think out going to the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Make sure that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are modern. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with in the field. If you are unsure what to look for, and are currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Orrstown PA welding contractor if they can give you a few tips.
School Location. Although we already briefly discussed the importance of location, there are a few additional points that we need to deal with. You should bear in mind that unless you have the ability to move, the welder program you choose needs to be within commuting distance of your Orrstown PA home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, often their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you subsequently will wish to work.
Small Classes. Individualized instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to be lost in bigger classes and not obtain much individualized training. Ask what the usual class size is for the welder schools you are considering. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can see how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with some of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, chat with some of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.
Flexible Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new trade while still working at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Orrstown PA, make sure that the schools you are looking at provide those alternatives. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any due to work, sickness or family circumstances.
Online Welder Degree and Certificate Programs
Welding is truly a manual type of profession, and consequently not very compatible with online training. However, there are a few online welding classes offered by specific community colleges and trade schools in the greater Orrstown PA area that may count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses mainly deal with such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to begin their training and education. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be accomplished online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that desire to advance their expertise or possibly earn a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely careful and make sure that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Guide to Online Schools for Welders Orrstown PA
Picking the ideal welding school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Guide to Online Schools for Welders and wanted more information on the topic Guide to Part Time Schools for Welders. However, as we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any welding school that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers unique possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional welder in Orrstown PA.
Other Pennsylvania Welder Locations
Orrstown, Pennsylvania
Orrstown was founded in 1833 by the Orr brothers. It is surrounded by Southampton Township in Franklin County, on the old state road from Shippensburg to Upper Strasburg. Settlements were made in that neighborhood as early as 1738. Before the completion of the Pennsylvania Railroad, horses and cattle were annually driven down the state road (now Pennsylvania Route 533/Orrstown Road) to eastern markets. The town was laid out in 1833, by John, William and James Orr.[4] At first, they called it "Southampton", after the township; but in 1835, when application was made for a post office to be called Southampton, the Post Office Department refused because there was already a post office of that name. George Chambers, who represented the area in Congress, named the post office "Orrstown", and the name has since been attached to the town.
It was incorporated as a borough on May 3, 1847, and in 1878 the town had one hotel, two stores, one carriage factory, and four churches: Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Brethren and Winebrennerian. The populations was then 325.[5]
Orrstown is located in northeastern Franklin County at 40°3′31″N 77°36′33″W / 40.05861°N 77.60917°W / 40.05861; -77.60917 (40.058482, -77.609213),[6] at the intersection of Pennsylvania Routes 433 (Rowe Run Road) and 533 (Orrstown Road). PA 433 leads northwest 5 miles (8 km) to Roxbury and south 5 miles to the Letterkenny Army Depot. Chambersburg, the county seat, is 11 miles (18 km) to the south via PA 433 and U.S. Route 11. PA 533 leads east 5 miles to Shippensburg and west 6 miles (10 km) to Upper Strasburg.
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