How to Select the Right Welding Certification Program near Harrison Michigan
Finding the ideal welder vocational school near Harrison MI is an important first step to starting your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to pick from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you pick the right one? Most prospective students begin by looking at the schools that are nearest to their homes. Once they have found those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations when reviewing welder vocational 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 trade school to become a welder, it’s prudent to develop 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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Welder Certificate and Degree Training
There are a number of alternatives available to obtain training as a welder in a technical or trade school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available along with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief explanations of the most typical welding programs offered in the Harrison MI area.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally made available by technical and trade schools and require about 1 year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, designed mainly to teach welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental skills for experienced welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to finish and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still furnishing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
A number of municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so make sure to find out for your location of future employment. As required, the welder school you choose should ready you for any licensing examinations that you will need to pass in addition to furnishing the suitable training to become a professional welder.
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Welding Certification Alternatives
There are multiple institutions that offer welding certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Harrison MI employers not only demand a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based upon the type of work that the welder does. A few of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Work in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specific metal thicknesses
- Work with various kinds of welds
- Perform in compliance with contract specifications
As earlier stated, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, some additionally require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and confirm that the welder trade school you select prepares you for certification as needed.
What to Ask Welding Trade Schools
Once you have decided on the credential you want to attain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to compare schools. As you can imagine, there are a large number of welding trade and technical schools in the Harrison MI area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already discussed two significant ones that most people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be considered. After all, the school you select is going to provide the education that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are some additional factors you might need to consider before picking a welding tech school.
Accreditation. It’s essential that the welding tech school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are 2 basic types of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school offers, for instance Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping ensure that you obtain a superior education, the accreditation might also assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not offered in Harrison MI for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that require 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. Various 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 placement program. The schools must 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 utilize for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and establish associations within the Harrison MI welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that enroll in an academic program and finish it. It’s essential that the welder school you choose has a higher completion rate. A low rate might indicate that the students who were in the program were unhappy with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Harrison MI employer relationships to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.
Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your selection of welding programs to two or three options, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be using in the field. If you are unsure 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 Harrison MI welding contractor if they can give you some tips.
School Location. Although we already briefly talked about the importance of location, there are a few additional issues that we need to cover. You should remember that unless you are able to relocate, the welder program you pick must be within commuting distance of your Harrison MI home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides moving expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welder degree programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, often 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 want to work.
Small Classes. Personalized instruction is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in larger classes and not receive much one-on-one training. Ask what the average class size is for the welder programs you are looking at. Inquire if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can observe how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with some of the students and get their feedback. Similarly, talk with some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they hold.
Flexible Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new trade while still employed at their present job. Check to see that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Harrison MI, make sure that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Online Welding Courses
Welding is truly a hands-on kind of trade, and for that reason not extremely suitable for training online. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding programs offered by various community colleges and technical schools in the greater Harrison MI area that may be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily deal with 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 critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Naturally 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 better suited for seasoned welders that desire to advance their expertise or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely cautious and make sure that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Where to Find Night Welding Schools Harrison MI
Selecting the right welder school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Where to Find Night Welding Schools and wanted more information on the topic Free Info on Accredited Welding Schools. However, as we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional welder in Harrison MI.
Other Michigan Welder Locations
Harrison, Michigan
Harrison is near the junction of US 127 and M-61. US 127 actually bypasses the city on the east, though a business route serves the downtown area. Clare is 14 miles (23 km) south on US 127, while Grayling is 40 miles (64 km) to the north. Harrison is bordered along its eastern side by Budd Lake.
Harrison was founded as a lumber town, with sawmills located on the shores of Budd Lake. One of the lumber companies donated the land which is now Wilson State Park. The City of Harrison attracts thousands of visitors from throughout the state, with its "twenty lakes in twenty minutes" and large amount of state land for recreational sports.[7]
There are several historic buildings in the city of Harrison. The Surrey House is a relic of the lumber town days. The Clare County Newspaper building, located downtown, is the oldest building in Harrison, dating back to 1898. Owners Rauch and Bucholz family gives tours of the Cleaver building, in addition to a walking tour of downtown Harrison.[8]
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