Locating the ideal welder technical school near Asheville NC is an important first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to pick from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have narrowed down your choices, how do you select the right one? Many people start by looking at the schools that are nearest to their homes. When they have found those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary concerns when examining welder technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s wise to create 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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Welder Certificate and Degree Training Classes

There are multiple options to obtain training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can receive a a certificate, a diploma 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 combined with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief descriptions of the most prevalent welding programs offered in the Asheville NC area.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally offered by trade and technical schools and require about 1 year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, designed largely to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized skills for working welders.
• Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to finish and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Some municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so don’t forget to check for your location of potential employment. If needed, the welding school you choose should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to furnishing the proper training to become a qualified welder.

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Welder Certification Alternatives

There are several organizations that offer welding certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Asheville NC employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered based upon the kind of work that the welder does. Just some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

• Operate in compliance with specific codes
• Work with specified metal thicknesses
• Work with various kinds of welds
• Perform in compliance with contract specifications

As already mentioned, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, some additionally require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and verify that the welder tech school you decide on prepares you for certification if needed.

Points to Ask Welding Tech Schools

As soon as you have decided on the credential you would like to obtain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to compare schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welding vocational and trade schools in the Asheville NC area. That’s why it’s important to determine up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have already covered a couple of significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are essential qualifiers, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the program you pick is going to furnish the training that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are more factors you may want to evaluate before selecting a welding vocational school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welder trade school you choose 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 single program the school offers, such as Welding Technology. So verify 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, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you obtain a superior education, the accreditation can also assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable in Asheville NC for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.

Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. A large number of welder degree or certificate programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at help 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 placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and establish associations within the Asheville NC welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an academic program and finish it. It’s essential that the welder school you select has a high completion rate. A lower rate may indicate that the students who enrolled 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 high job placement rate will not only affirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of Asheville NC contacts to help students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. After you have decreased your choice of welder programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should think out visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed on are modern. In particular, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be working with in the field. 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 Asheville NC welding contractor if they can give you some tips.

School Location. Even though we previously briefly discussed the significance of location, there are a few additional issues that we should address. You should remember that unless you are able to relocate, the welding program you choose must be within driving distance of your Asheville NC home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in an area or state where you ultimately will wish to work.

Smaller Classes. Individualized instruction is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to be lost in larger classes and not receive much individualized training. Ask what the typical class size is for the welding programs you are reviewing. Inquire if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can witness how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with several of the students and get their evaluations. Also, speak with some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Convenient Class Schedules. Many people learn a new profession while still employed at their current job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Asheville NC, confirm that the schools you are assessing offer those choices. If you can only enroll 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, sickness or family responsibilities.

Online Welder Training

Welding is truly a hands-on kind of vocation, and for that reason not extremely suitable for training online. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Asheville NC area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses primarily deal with such topics as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to begin their training and education. Nevertheless, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials until 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 more appropriate for seasoned welders that would like to advance their expertise 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 greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Compare Night Welder Training Asheville NC

Choosing the best welding school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Compare Night Welder Training and wanted more information on the topic Guide to Accredited Welder Training. However, as we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare among the programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any welding school that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Asheville NC.

Other North Carolina Welder Locations

Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is a city and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States.[6] It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 12th-most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The city's population was 89,121 according to 2016 estimates.[7] It is the principal city in the five-county Asheville metropolitan area, with a population of 424,858 in 2010.[8]

Before the arrival of the Europeans, the land where Asheville now exists lay within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation.[9] In 1540,[10] Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto came to the area known as Guaxule,[11] bringing the first European visitors[10] along with European diseases, which seriously depleted the native population.[12] The area was used as an open hunting ground until the middle of the 19th century.[13]

The history of Asheville, as a town, began in 1784. In that year, Colonel Samuel Davidson and his family settled in the Swannanoa Valley, redeeming a soldier's land grant from the state of North Carolina. Soon after building a log cabin at the bank of Christian Creek, Davidson was lured into the woods by a band of Cherokee hunters and killed. Davidson's wife, child, and female slave fled on foot overnight to Davidson's Fort (named after Davidson's father General John Davidson) 16 miles away.

 

 

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