How to Select the Right Welding Certification Program near Clementon New Jersey
Selecting the right welder school near Clementon NJ is an important first step to starting your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you pick the right one? Most people begin by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their homes. When they have found those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary concerns when examining welding trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before starting your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s sensible to create a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.
Request Free Information on Welding Schools Near You
Welder Degree and Certificate Training
There are a number of options available to receive training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can earn a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered along with an apprenticeship program. Following are short descriptions of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Clementon NJ area.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by technical and trade schools and require about one year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, fashioned mainly to develop welding skills. They can provide a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized skills for working welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take two years to finish and are usually 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.
Some municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore be sure to check for your location of potential employment. As required, the welding school you pick should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will need to pass in addition to providing the suitable training to become a professional welder.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Welding Schools Near You!
Welder Certification Options
There are a number of organizations that provide welder certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Clementon NJ employers not only require a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available dependent on the type 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 specified metal thicknesses
- Work with various kinds of welds
- Perform based on contract specifications
As formerly mentioned, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those requiring licensing, some additionally require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and verify that the welder vocational school you select readies you for certification if needed.
Questions to Ask Welder Tech Schools
After you have chosen the credential you would like to obtain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to compare schools. As you probably know, there are a large number of welder vocational and trade schools in the Clementon NJ area. That’s why it’s necessary to determine up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered a couple of significant ones that most people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be looked at. After all, the school you select is going to provide the instruction that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So below are some additional factors you might want to evaluate before choosing a welding tech school.
Accreditation. It’s very important that the welder vocational school you decide on is accredited by either a national or a regional 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 a single program the school has, for example Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you select is accredited, not just the school alone. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). Besides helping make sure that you get a quality education, the accreditation can also assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not offered in Clementon NJ for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.
Job Placement and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welder degree or diploma programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are looking at help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools should have partnerships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can refer 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 develop relationships within the Clementon NJ welding community.
Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an educational program and finish it. It’s important that the welder school you select has a higher completion rate. A reduced rate might mean that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the instruction, the instructors, or the facilities, and dropped out. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Clementon NJ contacts to help students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.
Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. Once you have narrowed down your selection of welding programs to 2 or 3 options, you should consider visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained on are modern. 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 already in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Clementon NJ welding contractor if they can give you some suggestions.
School Location. Even though we previously briefly covered the relevance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we need to address. You should bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the welding school you pick needs to be within commuting distance of your Clementon NJ home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from moving costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welding 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 needs to be in a region or state where you subsequently will want to work.
Small Classes. Personalized instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in larger classes and not obtain much one-on-one training. Find out what the typical class size is for the welder programs you are considering. Inquire if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can observe just how much personal attention the students are getting. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their evaluations. Similarly, talk to a couple of the instructors and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.
Flexible Class Schedules. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Clementon NJ, verify that the schools you are assessing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, confirm that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Online Welder Certificate and Degree Programs
Welding is very much a manual type of trade, and therefore not very compatible with training online. However, there are some online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Clementon NJ area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These classes primarily deal with such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a basis to start their training and education. Nevertheless, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly 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 want to advance their knowledge or perhaps attain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be very careful and confirm that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Where to Find Part Time Welder Training Clementon NJ
Choosing the ideal welding training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Where to Find Part Time Welder Training and wanted more information on the topic Free Info on Accelerated Welder Training. However, as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare between the programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any welder training that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every training program provides unique options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Clementon NJ.
Other New Jersey Welder Locations
Clementon, New Jersey
Clementon is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 5,000,[8][9][10] reflecting an increase of 14 (+0.3%) from the 4,986 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 615 (-11.0%) from the 5,601 counted in the 1990 Census.[18]
Around 1800, Jonathon Haines built a glass factory in what is now Clementon, situated on a large hill across the street from the modern day Clementon Park. Large amounts of dirt, gravel and marl from the large hill the glass works were situated on were removed for use at a planned new post office in 1961. Sometime around 1811, Samuel Clement of Haddonfield purchased the glass works and named them the Gloucester Glass works, and named the small settlement around the plant as Clementon village.[19] Haines remained as a superintendent and at some point repurchased the works from Clement.
The Borough of Clementon was created on February 13, 1925, from Clementon Township, one of nine municipalities created from the now-defunct township, based on the results of a referendum held on March 17, 1925.[20]
Business Results 1 - 10 of 9
1 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
8 Reviews 
11 Reviews 1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 