Enrolling in the ideal welding technical school near West Chester PA is an important first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you select the best one? Most people begin by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their homes. When they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial concerns when evaluating welder technical 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 wise to develop a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we examine 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

There are several alternatives available to receive training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can obtain a diploma, a certificate 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 along with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief descriptions of the most common welding programs offered in the West Chester PA area.

• Certificate and Diploma Programs are normally offered by trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed primarily to develop welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized skills for working welders.
• Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to complete and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still supplying the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Many municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so make sure to check for your location of potential employment. If required, the welder school you choose should prepare 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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Welding Certification Choices

There are various organizations that offer welding certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of West Chester PA employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available based upon the kind 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 various kinds of welds
• Work according to contract specifications

As previously stated, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number also require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and confirm that the welder technical school you choose prepares you for certification as needed.

Subjects to Ask Welder Tech Programs

Once you have chosen the credential you want to earn, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to assess schools. As you probably know, there are numerous welder trade and vocational schools in the West Chester PA area. That’s why it’s important to decide up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already discussed a couple of significant 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 should be looked at. After all, the program you choose is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are more factors you may need to consider before picking a welder trade school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder tech school you pick is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 standard types of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school offers, such as Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school itself. 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 get an excellent education, the accreditation may also assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not offered in West Chester PA for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.

Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welder diploma or degree programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools must have relationships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and establish associations within the West Chester PA welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an instructional program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welder program you choose has a high completion rate. A low rate may indicate that the students who were in the program were unhappy 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 higher job placement rate will not only confirm that the program has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of West Chester PA contacts to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have narrowed down your choice of welder programs to two or three options, you should think out visiting the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be taught on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be using on the job. If you are unsure what to look for, and are already in an apprenticeship program, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local West Chester PA welding contractor if they can give you some pointers.

School Location. Although we previously briefly covered the significance of location, there are a few additional points that we should cover. You should bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the welding school you choose needs to be within commuting distance of your West Chester PA home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, apart from moving expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welding certificate programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in a region or state where you subsequently will wish to work.

Small Classes. Individualized training is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in bigger classes and not obtain much one-on-one instruction. Find out what the usual class size is for the welding schools you are reviewing. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can observe how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their feedback. Also, chat with a couple of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Convenient Class Schedules. Some people learn a new profession while still employed at their current job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are looking at are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near West Chester PA, make certain that the schools you are assessing provide those choices. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Online Welder Certificate and Degree Programs

Welding is truly a hands-on type of vocation, and consequently not extremely suitable for training online. Having said that, there are a few online welding classes offered by specific community colleges and vocational schools in the greater West Chester PA area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses mainly cover such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to start their education and training. Nevertheless, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be done online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that desire to advance their knowledge or perhaps obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely careful and make sure that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Learn TIG Welding West Chester PA

Picking the ideal welding school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Learn TIG Welding and wanted more information on the topic Training In Welding. However, as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare between the programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welding school that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor some 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 right training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional welder in West Chester PA.

Other Pennsylvania Welder Locations

West Chester, Pennsylvania

Much of the West Chester University of Pennsylvania North Campus and the Chester County government are located within the borough. The center of town is located at the intersection of Market and High Streets.

The area was originally known as Turk's Head—after the inn of the same name located in what is now the center of the borough.[5] West Chester has been the seat of government in Chester County since 1786 when the seat was moved from nearby Chester in what is now Delaware County. The borough was incorporated in 1799.[6] In the heart of town is its courthouse, a classical revival building designed in the 1840s by Thomas U. Walter, one of the architects for the Capitol in Washington, D.C.[7] In the 18th century West Chester was a center of clockmaking. In the late 19th century the Hoopes, Bro. and Darlington company became a major wheelworks, first for wagons and later automobiles.[8][9] In the early 20th century, an important industry was the Sharples cream separator company.[10] In the late 20th century, Commodore International, one of the pioneers of home computers, giving its headquarters as West Chester, was located approximately a mile northeast of the borough.[citation needed]

The West Chester Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Other listed buildings are the Bank of Chester County, Buckwalter Building, Butler House, Chester County Courthouse, William Everhart Buildings, Farmers and Mechanics Building, First Presbyterian Church of West Chester, New Century Clubhouse, Joseph Rothrock House, Sharples Homestead, Sharples Separator Works, Warner Theater, West Chester Boarding School for Boys, and the components of the West Chester State College Quadrangle Historic District.[11]

 

 

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