How to Choose the Best Welding Degree Program near Duncan Nebraska
Finding the ideal welding school near Duncan NE is an important first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many 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? A number of people begin by checking out the schools that are closest to their homes. Once they have located those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary concerns when evaluating welder technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s wise to establish a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.
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Welder Degree and Certificate Programs
There are multiple options to receive training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can receive a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available along with an apprenticeship program. Following are short summaries of the most common welding programs offered in the Duncan NE area.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually 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 teach 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 providing 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 required, the welder school you choose should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to supplying the appropriate training to become a professional welder.
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Welder Certification Options
There are multiple institutions that provide welding certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Duncan NE employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are offered based upon the type of work that the welder does. A few of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Work in compliance with specific codes
- Work with certain metal thicknesses
- Work with certain kinds of welds
- Work according to contract specifications
As previously stated, some states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an extremely skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and make sure that the welder vocational school you choose readies you for certification if needed.
Subjects to Ask Welding Trade Programs
After you have decided on the credential you would like to attain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to compare schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous welder trade and technical schools in the Duncan NE area. That’s why it’s essential to establish up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously discussed two important ones that many people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be looked at. After all, the program you choose is going to provide the education that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are more factors you may need to consider before choosing a welding vocational school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder tech school you pick is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are 2 standard kinds of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school offers, for instance 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 recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you get an excellent education, the accreditation may also assist in getting financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable in Duncan NE 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 certificate or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. 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 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 more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish relationships within the Duncan NE welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an instructional program and finish it. It’s important that the welder program you pick has a higher completion rate. A reduced rate could mean that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy with the instruction, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication 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 Duncan NE contacts to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.
Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have limited your choice of welding programs to 2 or 3 options, you should think out going to the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Make sure that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable 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 Duncan NE welding contractor if they can give you some tips.
School Location. Although we previously briefly talked about the importance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we should cover. You should remember that unless you are able to move, the welder program you select needs to be within commuting distance of your Duncan NE home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, more than likely 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 want to work.
Small Classes. Personalized training is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to get overlooked in bigger classes and not obtain much one-on-one instruction. Ask what the usual class size is for the welder programs you are reviewing. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can see how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with some of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, talk to a couple of the instructors and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.
Flexible Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new profession while still working at their present job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Duncan NE, make sure that the schools you are assessing offer those alternatives. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any due to illness, work or family responsibilities.
Online Welding Certificate and Degree Programs
Welding is truly a hands-on type of vocation, and consequently not very compatible with online training. However, there are a few online welding programs offered by various community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Duncan NE area that can be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily cover such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to begin their training and education. However, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials until you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be performed online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that would like to advance their knowledge or possibly attain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be very cautious and confirm that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Guide to Evening Schools for Welders Near Me Duncan NE
Choosing the ideal welding training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Guide to Evening Schools for Welders Near Me and wanted more information on the topic Trade School Welding. 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 looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training program that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Duncan NE.
Other Nebraska Welder Locations
Duncan, Nebraska
The transcontinental railroad reached the site of Duncan in 1866. Among the first settlers in the area were Polish and Swiss immigrants.[6] In June 1869, the post office of Cherry Hill was established on the site.[6]
In October 1871, the townsite of Jackson was laid out by officials of the Union Pacific Railroad.[7] Jackson was chosen in 1879 as the southern terminus of the Omaha, Niobrara, and Black Hills Railroad, a Union Pacific subsidiary, purportedly because Jay Gould was angry at Columbus for promoting a rival railroad in the region.[6]
In 1880, the settlement's name was changed to Duncan,[6] owing to the existence of another Jackson in Dakota County.[8] The new name honored General Wood B. Duncan, a prominent onetime local resident.[9] In the following year, an ice jam destroyed the Omaha, Niobrara, and Black Hills Railroad bridge across the Loup River; the line was later moved to branch off the main line of the Union Pacific at Columbus.[6]
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