How to Select the Right Welder Certificate Program near Hellertown Pennsylvania
Selecting the right welding technical school near Hellertown PA is an important first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of 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? Many prospective students start by checking out the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have identified those that are within driving distance, they are drawn 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 beginning your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s sensible 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 Classes
There are a number of alternatives available to receive training as a welder in a technical or trade 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 courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are short summaries of the most typical welding programs available in the Hellertown PA area.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are normally made available by trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in nature, created largely to teach 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 2 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.
Many states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, so be sure to find out for your location of potential employment. As needed, the welder school you choose should ready 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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Welding Certification Choices
There are multiple institutions that offer welding certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Hellertown PA employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a highly regarded organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are offered based on the type of work that the welder does. Just some of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to
- Operate in compliance with specific codes
- Work with certain metal thicknesses
- Work with certain types of welds
- Operate according to contract specifications
As already mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those calling for licensing, a number also require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are a highly skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your local area and make certain that the welder technical school you select prepares you for certification if needed.
What to Ask Welding Tech Programs
As soon as you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to evaluate schools. As you probably know, there are a large number of welding trade and vocational schools in the Hellertown PA area. That’s why it’s important to decide in advance what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have already discussed two important 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 need to be looked at. After all, the school you choose is going to furnish the training that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are more factors you might want to consider before selecting a welding vocational school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welding vocational school you select is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two basic kinds of accreditation. The school may attain Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a specific program the school has, such as Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, the accreditation might also help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not offered in Hellertown PA for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.
Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. Numerous welding degree or diploma programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools should have partnerships with local unions and various 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 establish relationships within the Hellertown PA welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an educational program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welding program you choose has a high completion rate. A low rate may indicate that the students who enrolled in the program were unhappy with the training, the teachers, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also a good indicator of the quality of training. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Hellertown PA employer relationships to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.
Up-to-date Facilities and Equipment. After you have decreased your selection of welding programs to two or three options, you should consider going to the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Make sure that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be taught on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be using on the job. 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. Otherwise, ask a local Hellertown PA welding professional if they can give you some pointers.
School Location. Even though we already briefly discussed the significance of location, there are a few additional issues that we should deal with. You should bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the welder program you pick needs to be within driving distance of your Hellertown PA home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving expenses there could 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, often their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school needs to be in a region or state where you ultimately will wish to work.
Smaller Classes. Personalized training is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to get lost in larger classes and not receive much individualized instruction. Ask what the average class size is for the welding programs you are considering. Inquire if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can see how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their feedback. Also, talk to some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they have earned.
Flexible Class Scheduling. Many people learn a new profession while still employed at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are convenient enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Hellertown PA, make sure that the schools you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, confirm that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Online Welding Schools
Welding is truly a manual type of profession, and for that reason not extremely suitable for online training. Even so, there are a few online welding programs offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Hellertown PA area that may be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes mainly cover such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a foundation to initiate their training and education. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be done online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that would like to advance their expertise or perhaps obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding certificate or degree program, be very careful and make sure that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Compare Local Schools for Welders Near Me Hellertown PA
Choosing the ideal welding training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Compare Local Schools for Welders Near Me and wanted more information on the topic Compare Night Schools for Welders Near Me. However, as we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare between the programs you are considering. It’s a must that any welding training that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you select is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional welder in Hellertown PA.
Other Pennsylvania Welder Locations
Hellertown, Pennsylvania
Hellertown is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Hellertown is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Lehigh Valley's Saucon Valley. The population of Hellertown was 5,898 at the 2010 census.
Pennsylvania Route 412 runs north-south through Hellertown on Main Street, heading north to Bethlehem and south into Bucks County, where it provides access to Pennsylvania Route 611. PA 412 has an interchange with Interstate 78 on the northern edge of Hellertown, which heads west to Allentown and Harrisburg and east to Easton and New York City.[4]
LANTA provides bus service to Hellertown along Route 215, which provides service Monday-Saturday north to Bethlehem and Lehigh Valley International Airport, and Route 105, which provides Sunday service north to Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley Mall.[5]Klein Transportation and Trans-Bridge Lines provide bus service from Hellertown to New York City from a park and ride lot located at the interchange between I-78 and PA 412.[6][7] Hellertown formerly had commuter rail service along SEPTA's Bethlehem Line north to Bethlehem and south to Philadelphia at Hellertown station, but service ended in 1981.
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