How to Find the Right Welder Degree Program near Billings Montana
Choosing the right welding trade school near Billings MT is an essential first step to starting your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to select from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you select the right one? A number of prospective students start by looking at the schools that are closest to their residences. When they have identified those that are within commuting distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary issues when examining welding 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 wise to establish a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.
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Welding Certificate and Degree Programs
There are several alternatives available to obtain training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can receive a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered along with an apprenticeship program. Below are short summaries of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Billings MT area.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally made available by technical and trade schools and require about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, designed primarily to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized skills for experienced welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to complete and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
Some states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore don’t forget to check for your location of future employment. As required, the welding school you select should prep you for any licensing exams that you will need to pass in addition to providing the suitable training to become a qualified welder.
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Welder Certification Options
There are several organizations that offer welding certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Billings MT employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available based on the type of work that the welder does. A few of the things 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
- Work according to contract specifications
As previously mentioned, many cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to prove to employers that you are a highly skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and verify that the welder vocational school you select prepares you for certification if needed.
Questions to Ask Welder Technical Programs
When you have decided on the credential you would like to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to assess schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welding trade and technical schools in the Billings MT area. That’s why it’s important to establish in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already covered two significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that should be looked at. After all, the program you decide on is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are more factors you might need to consider before picking a welding trade school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding technical school you pick is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are 2 standard types of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school itself. 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). Besides helping make sure that you get a quality education, the accreditation may also help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable in Billings MT for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or local governments that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.
Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welder degree or diploma programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. These schools must have associations with local unions and other 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 placements. These programs can help students find employment and establish relationships within the Billings MT welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an instructional program and complete it. It’s important that the welding program you select has a high completion rate. A low rate could indicate that the students who joined the program were unhappy with the instruction, the instructors, 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 verify that the program has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of Billings MT employer relationships to help students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.
Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have limited your selection of welding programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should consider going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify that both the facilities and the equipment that you will be taught 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 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 Billings MT welding professional if they can give you some suggestions.
School Location. Although we previously briefly discussed the relevance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should cover. You should remember that unless you can move, the welder school you pick needs to be within commuting distance of your Billings MT home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school provides an apprenticeship or job placement program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school needs to be in an area or state where you ultimately will desire to work.
Small Classes. One-on-one training is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in larger classes and not receive much one-on-one training. Ask what the usual class size is for the welder schools you are reviewing. Inquire if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can see how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, talk with a few of the students and get their opinions. Also, speak with a couple of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.
Convenient Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new profession while still employed at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Billings MT, verify that the schools you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family circumstances.
Online Welder Schools
Welding is truly a hands-on kind of profession, and therefore not extremely suitable for online training. Even so, there are a few online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Billings MT area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses mainly cover such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide 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 handle welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be accomplished online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that would like to advance their knowledge or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be very cautious and make certain that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Compare Evening Schools for Welders Near Me Billings MT
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 Compare Evening Schools for Welders Near Me and wanted more information on the topic Guide to Online Schools for Welders Near Me. However, as we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare between the programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any welding school that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain 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 visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Billings MT.
Other Montana Welder Locations
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population estimated at 109,550 as of 2018.[5] Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, which has a population of 171,677.[6] It has a trade area of over 500,000.[7]
Billings was nicknamed the "Magic City" because of its rapid growth from its founding as a railroad town in March 1882. The city is named for Frederick H. Billings, a former president of the Northern Pacific Railroad. With one of the largest trade areas in the United States,[8] Billings is the trade and distribution center for much of Montana east of the Continental Divide, Northern Wyoming, and western portions of North Dakota and South Dakota. Billings is also the largest retail destination for much of the same area.
The city is experiencing rapid growth and a strong economy; it has had and is continuing to have the largest growth of any city in Montana. Parts of the metro area are seeing hyper growth. From 2000 to 2010 Lockwood, an eastern suburb, saw growth of 57.8%, the largest growth rate of any community in Montana.[9] Billings has avoided the economic downturn that affected most of the nation from 2008 to 2012 as well as the housing bust.[10][11] With more hotel accommodations than any area within a five-state region, the city hosts a variety of conventions, concerts, sporting events, and other rallies.[8] With the Bakken oil development in eastern Montana and western North Dakota, the largest oil discovery in U.S. history,[12][13] as well as the Heath shale oil discovery just north of Billings,[14] the city's growth rate stayed high during the shale oil boom.[15][16] Although the city is growing, its growth rate has diminished markedly with oil price declines in recent years.[17]
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