Selecting the right welding technical school near Ashford AL is an important first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to pick from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you select the best one? Most prospective students begin by checking out the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have found those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and tuition cost are crucial issues when reviewing welder technical 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 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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Welding Certificate and Degree Programs

There are multiple alternatives available to obtain 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 offered along with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief explanations of the most common welding programs available in the Ashford AL area.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally offered by trade and technical schools and take about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned primarily to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental skills for experienced welders.
• Associate Degree Programs will take two years to finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still furnishing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.

Some states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, so be sure to check for your location of future employment. If needed, the welder school you select should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will have to pass in addition to supplying the suitable training to become a qualified welder.

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Welding Certification Options

There are several institutions that provide welder certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. A large number of Ashford AL employers not only require a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a highly regarded organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered based upon the kind of work that the welder performs. Just some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

• Operate in compliance with specific codes
• Work with specific metal thicknesses
• Work with specific kinds of welds
• Work based on contract specifications

As already stated, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, many additionally require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an extremely skilled and qualified welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and make certain that the welder technical school you select preps you for certification as needed.

Subjects to Ask Welding Technical Schools

When you have decided on the credential you would like to earn, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you can imagine, there are many welding trade and technical schools in the Ashford AL area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already discussed a couple of important ones that many people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that should be considered. After all, the program you select 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 may want to consider before picking a welder technical school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welder technical school you choose is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are two standard types of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a single program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you get a superior education, the accreditation may also assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered in Ashford AL for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous welder diploma or degree programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools must have associations with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. More established schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and develop associations within the Ashford AL welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an educational program and complete it. It’s essential that the welding program you pick has a high completion rate. A low rate may indicate that the students who joined the program were unhappy with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A high 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 Ashford AL contacts to assist students secure employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. After you have limited your selection of welding schools to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should consider going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with 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. If not, ask a local Ashford AL welding professional if they can give you some suggestions.

School Location. Although we already briefly talked about the relevance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we need to address. You should remember that unless you are able to move, the welder program you choose must be within commuting distance of your Ashford AL home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case 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 should be in an area or state where you ultimately will wish to work.

Small Classes. Personalized instruction is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to be lost in bigger classes and not receive much personalized training. Find out what the usual class size is for the welding schools you are looking at. Ask if you can attend a few classes so that you can see how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, speak with several of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, speak with some of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still employed at their present job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Ashford AL, verify that the schools you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain 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 work, illness or family emergencies.

Online Welding Training Programs

Welding is very much a hands-on kind of vocation, and for that reason not very compatible with training online. Even so, there are some online welding programs offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Ashford AL area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses mainly cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to begin their training and education. Nevertheless, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials until you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be done online. These skills need to 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 earn a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely cautious and make sure that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Where to Find Local Welding Colleges Ashford AL

Choosing the best welder training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Where to Find Local Welding Colleges and wanted more information on the topic Where to Find Night Welding Colleges. However, as we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare among the programs you are considering. It’s a must that any welder training program that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Ashford AL.

Other Alabama Welder Locations

Ashford, Alabama

Ashford is a town[4] in Houston County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Dothan, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town was incorporated in June 1891.[5] For most of its history, it was a center for naval stores production, pulpwood harvesting, and cotton agriculture. The population was 2,148 at the 2010 census,[6] up from 1,853 at the 2000 census.

Ashford is located slightly northeast of the center of Houston County at 31°11′3″N 85°14′7″W / 31.18417°N 85.23528°W / 31.18417; -85.23528 (31.184032, -85.235286).[7]U.S. Route 84 passes through the southern part of the town, leading west 9 miles (14 km) to Dothan and southeast 24 miles (39 km) to Donalsonville, Georgia. The Chattahoochee River, which forms the Georgia state line, is 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Ashford on US 84.

Ashford's former mayor is Jonathon Grecu, he resigned from office on December 31, 2017. On January 8, 2018 Carole Barfield took office. As of October 2018, the current mayor is Carole Barfield, and City Council members are Gary Gibson, Ronnie Whitehead, Alan Anderson, James Smith, and Denise Herndon. The recreation director for the City of Ashford is Louis Edmondson. The City Clerk is currently open for employment.

 

 

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