How to Choose the Right Welding Degree Program near Lansing Illinois
Selecting the ideal welder school near Lansing IL is an important first step to starting your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to pick from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you pick the right one? Many people start by looking at the schools that are closest to their homes. Once they have identified those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations 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 beginning 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 delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.
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Welding Degree and Certificate Programs
There are multiple options available to receive 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 offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief summaries of the most typical welding programs available in the Lansing IL area.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally made available by trade and technical schools and take about 1 year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, created largely 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 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 furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.
Many municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore make sure to check for your location of future employment. If required, the welding school you choose should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will need to take in addition to supplying the suitable training to become a professional welder.
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Welding Certification Alternatives
There are multiple institutions that offer welder certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Lansing IL employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available based upon the type of work that the welder does. Just some of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Operate in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specified metal thicknesses
- Work with certain kinds of welds
- Work according to contract specifications
As earlier mentioned, various states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those calling for licensing, some also require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and verify that the welder vocational school you decide on prepares you for certification if needed.
Questions to Ask Welding Technical Schools
As soon as you have decided on the credential you would like to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to compare schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are many welder trade and vocational schools in the Lansing IL area. That’s why it’s essential to determine in advance what qualifications your selected school must have. We have previously covered a couple of important ones that most people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be looked at. After all, the program you choose is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are some additional factors you may need to consider before choosing a welder trade school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding trade school you decide on is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. 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 has, for example Welding Technology. So make sure 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, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you receive an excellent education, the accreditation may also help in getting financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Lansing IL for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.
Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. Numerous welding certificate or degree programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools should have relationships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. Older schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and develop relationships within the Lansing IL welding community.
Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an academic program and complete it. It’s essential that the welder school you choose has a higher completion rate. A lower rate might indicate 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 a good indicator of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only affirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Lansing IL employer relationships to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.
Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your choice of welding programs to two or three possibilities, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. In particular, 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 already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Lansing IL welding professional if they can give you a few tips.
School Location. Although we previously briefly covered the importance of location, there are a few additional issues that we should address. You should bear in mind that unless you can move, the welder program you select must be within driving distance of your Lansing IL home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, besides moving costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, most likely their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school needs to be in a region or state where you ultimately will desire to work.
Smaller Classes. Individualized training is important 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. Find out what the average class size is for the welding schools you are considering. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can witness how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, speak with some of the students and get their opinions. Also, speak with some of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.
Convenient Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new profession while still employed at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Lansing IL, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide those alternatives. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any due to work, sickness or family circumstances.
Online Welder Courses
Welding is truly a hands-on type of vocation, and for that reason not very compatible with online training. However, there are a few online welding classes offered by various community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Lansing IL area that can be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These courses mainly deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to initiate their education and training. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be performed online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for experienced welders that desire to advance their expertise or possibly obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely careful and confirm that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Top Local Welding Courses Lansing IL
Selecting the ideal welder training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Top Local Welding Courses and wanted more information on the topic Top Night Welding Courses. However, as we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare among the programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training 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. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Lansing IL.
Other Illinois Welder Locations
Lansing, Illinois
Lansing is located at 41°33′57″N 87°32′45″W / 41.56583°N 87.54583°W / 41.56583; -87.54583 (41.565785, -87.545791).[4] It is 6.9 miles (11.1 km) south of the Chicago city limits at 138th Street, and 25.6 miles (41.2 km) from the Chicago Loop. Lansing is bordered by Glenwood and Thornton to the west, Calumet City and South Holland to the north, Lynwood to the south, and by Munster and Hammond in Indiana to the east.
According to the 2010 census, Lansing has a total area of 6.848 square miles (17.74 km2), of which 6.79 square miles (17.59 km2) (or 99.15%) is land and 0.058 square miles (0.15 km2) (or 0.85%) is water.[5] Lansing sits on the Calumet Shoreline, an ancient shoreline of Lake Michigan. This shoreline runs along Ridge Road.
Lansing is represented in the United States Congress by Representative Robin Kelly, of Illinois' 2nd congressional district, as well as Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth in the United States Senate.
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