How to Select the Best Welder Trade School near Enka North Carolina
Finding the ideal welding school near Enka NC is an essential first step to launching your new career as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to select from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you select the right one? Most people begin by looking at the schools that are nearest to their residences. When they have located those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are crucial considerations 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 vocational school to become a welder, it’s sensible to establish a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.
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Welding Degree and Certificate Programs
There are several 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 programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available along with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief summaries of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Enka NC area.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by technical and trade schools and take about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned largely to develop welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or additional skills for working welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to complete 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 providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.
Some states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore make sure to find out for your location of potential employment. As needed, the welding school you pick should ready you for any licensing exams that you will have to pass in addition to furnishing the proper training to become a professional welder.
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Welding Certification Options
There are multiple organizations that offer welding certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Enka NC employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a highly regarded agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are available based upon the type of work that the welder performs. Just some 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 kinds of welds
- Operate according to contract specifications
As already mentioned, some cities, states 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 experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and make certain that the welder tech school you select prepares you for certification as needed.
Points to Ask Welder Trade Programs
When you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to compare schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are many welder trade and vocational schools in the Enka NC area. That’s why it’s essential to decide in advance what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously discussed 2 important ones that most people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the school you decide on is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are more factors you might need to consider before selecting a welder technical school.
Accreditation. It’s very important that the welder technical school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are two basic kinds 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 confirm that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as 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 help in getting financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable in Enka NC for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.
Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of welding degree or certificate programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job after graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools should have associations with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and establish relationships within the Enka NC welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that start an instructional program and complete it. It’s important that the welder school you pick has a higher completion rate. A lower rate could signify that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also an indication of the quality of training. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Enka NC contacts to help students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.
Modern Facilities and Equipment. After you have limited your choice of welding schools to two or three options, you should think out visiting the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be working with in the field. If you are not sure what to look for, and are currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Enka NC welding professional if they can give you some pointers.
School Location. Even though we previously 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 school you choose needs to be within commuting distance of your Enka NC home. If you do opt to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides moving costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, 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 ultimately will want to work.
Smaller Classes. Personalized training is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to be overlooked in bigger classes and not receive much one-on-one training. Ask what the average class size is for the welding programs you are looking at. Inquire if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can witness just how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, talk with a couple of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.
Convenient Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still working at their present job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Enka NC, make certain that the schools you are reviewing offer those alternatives. If you can only attend part-time, confirm 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 work, illness or family circumstances.
Online Welder Courses
Welding is very much a hands-on type of vocation, and for that reason not extremely suitable for online training. Even so, there are a few online welding classes offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Enka NC area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes mainly cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to initiate their education and training. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials unless 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 experienced welders that want to advance their knowledge or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across 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 environment.
Guide to Accredited Welding Programs Enka NC
Picking the ideal welder school will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Guide to Accredited Welding Programs and wanted more information on the topic Guide to Weekend Welding Programs. However, as we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any welder school that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out 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 training program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional welder in Enka NC.
Other North Carolina Welder Locations
Enka, North Carolina
Enka is an unincorporated community in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It lies on U.S. Routes 19, 23, and 74 Business near the interchange of Interstates 26, 40, and 240. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 28728.[1]
The American Enka Company, incorporated in 1928,[2] built what became the nation's largest rayon-producing factory.[citation needed] The Dutch name of the rayon company was Nederlandse Kunstzijdefabriek, and it is from the Dutch phonetic pronunciation of the initial letters N and K of the firm's name that "Enka" is derived. The alternative explanation that Enka stands for "Eerste Nederlandse Kunstzijdefabriek Arnhem" is incorrect.[3] The Dutch company considered many sites and decided on the Hominy Valley because of its supply of water and labor.[4] In 1929 the company began developing a community plan that included employee houses and became known as Enka Village. Enka Village is now a historic community and is part of the city of Asheville.[citation needed]
Fred Loring Seely, an Asheville businessman and son in law of Edwin Wiley Grove (see Grove Park Inn) met several influential Dutch businessmen during his time in the Dutch colony of Java in 1901. Seely and his wife, Evelyn Grove Seely, had been sent to Java by Mr. Grove to secure a source for quinine which was used in Grove's famous malarial Chill Tonic. When the Dutch rayon businessmen were searching for a site for an American based factory in 1928 Mr. Seely served as a liaison to lure ENKA to build the rayon fiber factory in Buncombe County. He told the ENKA owners that his county could supply trees for fiber, water for processing and reliable man power. 1000's of jobs for western NC in 1929 was a lifesaver for many families. American Enka sent Mr. Seely over 1 million dollars to buy 2000 acres and ENKA built a $10 million plant. 1900 people worked there during the Great Depression, and that number reached 4300 after World War II. At one point 7000 people worked there. Amenities included a gym, a pool room, a bowling alley, two cafeterias and a library. Enka Lake Club opened on a lake built to supply the plant with water. Buses delivered employees from the surrounding area.[4]
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