How to Enroll In the Right Welding Trade School near Austell Georgia
Enrolling in the right welder trade school near Austell GA is an important first step to launching your new career 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 notably, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you select the best one? Many prospective students start by checking out the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have found those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial concerns when examining welder trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s prudent to create a list of qualifications that your selected 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 Certificate and Degree Training Courses
There are a number of options to get training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered 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. Below are brief descriptions of the most typical welding programs offered in the Austell GA area.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by trade and technical schools and take about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed largely to teach 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 2 years to finish and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more well-rounded education than the certificate or diploma while still furnishing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
Many municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to check for your location of potential employment. As needed, the welder school you choose should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will have to take in addition to furnishing the suitable training to become a qualified welder.
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Welding Certification Alternatives
There are various organizations that provide welding certifications, which evaluate the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Austell GA employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based on the kind of work that the welder does. A few of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Operate in compliance with specific codes
- Work with certain metal thicknesses
- Work with various types of welds
- Operate in compliance with contract specifications
As formerly stated, some states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, many 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 similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and make certain that the welding vocational school you choose readies you for certification if needed.
What to Ask Welder Vocational Schools
After you have chosen the credential you would like to earn, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to assess schools. As you probably know, there are many welding vocational and trade schools in the Austell GA area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already covered 2 significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that should be considered. After all, the program you choose is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are more factors you may want to consider before selecting a welder technical school.
Accreditation. It’s essential that the welding technical school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are 2 basic 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 has, such as Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you choose 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). Besides helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, the accreditation may also assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not offered in Austell GA for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.
Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of welder certificate or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship upon graduation. Find out 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 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 assist students in finding employment and establish relationships within the Austell GA welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an educational program and finish it. It’s crucial that the welder program you choose has a higher completion rate. A lower rate may signify that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber 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 Austell GA employer relationships to assist students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.
Modern Facilities and Equipment. Once you have limited your choice of welding programs to two or three possibilities, you should think out visiting the campuses to inspect 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 similar to what you will be using in the field. If you are uncertain what to look for, and are currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Austell GA welding contractor if they can give you a few pointers.
School Location. Even though we already briefly talked about the significance of location, there are a few additional issues that we should cover. You should keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the welder program you choose must be within commuting distance of your Austell GA home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true 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 ultimately will want to work.
Smaller Classes. Individualized training is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s possible to get lost in larger classes and not receive much individualized training. Ask what the usual class size is for the welder programs you are looking at. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can experience how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their feedback. Also, talk with a couple of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.
Flexible Class Schedules. Many people learn a new profession while still employed at their current job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Austell GA, verify that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure 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 due to illness, work or family circumstances.
Online Welder Training Programs
Welding is truly a hands-on kind of trade, and therefore not extremely compatible with training online. Having said that, there are some online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and technical schools in the greater Austell GA area that can count toward a degree or certificate program. These courses primarily cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a novice a foundation to start their education and training. Nevertheless, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be done online. These skills have 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 knowledge or perhaps obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely careful and make certain that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Free Info on Online Trade Schools for Welders Austell GA
Choosing the best welder school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Free Info on Online Trade Schools for Welders and wanted more information on the topic Free Info on Part Time Trade Schools for Welders. However, as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training program that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you select is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Austell GA.
Other Georgia Welder Locations
Austell, Georgia
The area that is now Austell was frequented by game hunters and trappers on their way to the area's salt licks. These early visitors claimed the area's waters had medicinal properties. It soon became a destination for therapeutic healing, leading to the founding of a town known as Salt Springs. As immigration increased and demand for land near the spring grew, G. O. Mozely donated and subdivided 40 acres (16 ha) of his land, enhancing the loose settlement with a street plan. Later, the spring was renamed Lithia Springs due to the water containing lithium carbonate, and the neighboring city of Lithia Springs was founded in 1882. In 1888, the lithia spring water was bottled and sold under the commercial name Bowden Lithia Spring Water.[5] The historic lithia spring water is still bottled and sold under the name brand Lithia Spring Water. Georgia Pacific, now a division of Southern Railway, chose the town of Austell to be a station depot, being the dividing point for the major Birmingham and Chattanooga railway lines.[6]
Austell was incorporated in 1885.[7] The town is named for General Alfred Austell (1814–1881), founder of the Atlanta National Bank (later Wachovia), in recognition of his efforts to bring major railways to the South.[8] Austell is buried in an elaborate Gothic Revival-style mausoleum at the highest point in Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery.
Austell is located along the southern border of Cobb County at 33°48′57″N 84°38′10″W / 33.81583°N 84.63611°W / 33.81583; -84.63611 (33.815905, −84.636242).[10] A small portion of the city extends south into Douglas County. It is bordered by Lithia Springs to the south and Mableton to the east. The city of Powder Springs is 4 miles (6 km) to the northwest. U.S. Route 78 passes through the city, leading east 15 miles (24 km) to downtown Atlanta and west 8 miles (13 km) to Douglasville.
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