How to Choose the Best Welding Training Program near Orefield Pennsylvania
Selecting the ideal welding technical school near Orefield PA is an essential first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you select the best one? Most people start by checking out the schools that are nearest to their homes. When they have identified those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are important considerations when examining welder technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s sensible to develop a list of qualifications that your chosen 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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Welding Degree and Certificate Training Programs
There are several options available to get training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can receive a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are short descriptions of the most common welding programs offered in the Orefield PA area.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are normally made available by trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, created 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 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 supplying the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
Many states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore be sure to find out for your location of potential employment. As needed, the welding school you pick should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to providing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.
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Welder Certification Alternatives
There are various organizations that offer welder certifications, which assess the skill level and knowledge of those applying. A large number of Orefield PA employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered based upon the kind of work that the welder performs. Some of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to
- Work in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specific metal thicknesses
- Work with certain types of welds
- Perform based on contract specifications
As previously mentioned, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, some additionally require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and confirm that the welder tech school you select prepares you for certification if needed.
Questions to Ask Welding Vocational Schools
Once you have decided on the credential you would like to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to evaluate schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are many welder trade and technical schools in the Orefield PA area. That’s why it’s essential to establish up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already discussed two important ones that most people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that should be looked at. After all, the program you choose is going to furnish the training that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are more factors you may need to consider before choosing a welder technical school.
Accreditation. It’s very important that the welder tech school you select is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are 2 standard types of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school has, for example Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you get a quality education, the accreditation may also assist in getting financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not offered in Orefield PA for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.
Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. Many welding diploma or degree programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools should have relationships with local unions and various 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 placements. These programs can help students find employment and develop associations within the Orefield PA welding community.
Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an instructional program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welder school you pick has a higher completion rate. A low rate might mean that the students who were in the program were unhappy with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication of the quality of training. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the program has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Orefield PA contacts to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.
Modern Equipment and Facilities. After you have limited your selection of welder schools to 2 or 3 options, you should think out visiting 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 working with on the job. If you are unsure 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 Orefield PA welding professional if they can give you a few tips.
School Location. Although we already briefly discussed the importance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we should address. You should remember that unless you are able to move, the welding program you select must be within driving distance of your Orefield PA home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welder diploma programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement program, most likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school needs to be in a region or state where you subsequently will want to work.
Smaller Classes. One-on-one instruction is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in bigger classes and not obtain much one-on-one training. Ask what the average class size is for the welder programs you are looking at. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can experience just how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with some of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, talk with a couple of the teachers 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. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are convenient enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Orefield PA, make sure that the schools you are reviewing offer those alternatives. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any because of illness, work or family responsibilities.
Online Welder Classes
Welding is very much a manual type of vocation, and therefore not very suitable for online training. However, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Orefield PA area that may be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These classes mainly deal with such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a foundation to begin their education and training. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly 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 expertise or perhaps obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be very cautious and make sure that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Guide to Fast Track Trade Schools for Welders Near Me Orefield PA
Selecting the best welding school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Guide to Fast Track Trade Schools for Welders Near Me and wanted more information on the topic Guide to Evening Trade Schools for Welders Near Me. However, as we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the programs you are considering. It’s a must that any welding school that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world context, 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 have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Orefield PA.
Other Pennsylvania Welder Locations
Orefield, Pennsylvania
Orefield is a small unincorporated community in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States, split between North Whitehall and South Whitehall township. Located along Pennsylvania Route 309, Orefield has the zip code of 18069. Its name is derived from the extensive deposits of limonite (iron ore) once mined here. It was once the terminus of the Siegersville Branch of the Ironton Railroad, which was extended here to haul the ore.
Orefield is the former home to Parkland High School. It is a part of the Lehigh Valley and is only a few miles outside of Allentown. It is surrounded by many suburban housing developments, many of which were former farms operated by the Pennsylvania Dutch whose influence in the community is waning. There are many covered bridges nearby which cross the Jordan Creek.
Located near Orefield is a large factory for Alpo Dog Food, which has been owned by the Ralston Purina Company since the 1990s. Also located nearby are the Jaindl turkey farms, which provide the turkey for the White House on many Thanksgivings. Located in Orefield is Shankweiler's Drive-In, the second drive-in ever built (1934) and America's oldest operating drive-in theater.
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