How to Find the Best Welding Degree Program near Oakmont Pennsylvania
Selecting the right welder vocational school near Oakmont PA is an essential first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have narrowed down your choices, how do you select the right one? Most people begin by reviewing the schools that are closest to their homes. Once they have located those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary issues when evaluating welding trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s wise to establish a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.
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Welding Degree and Certificate Training
There are a number of options to get training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma 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. Below are brief explanations of the most typical welding programs offered in the Oakmont PA area.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by technical and trade schools and take about one year to finish. 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 supplemental 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 provides a more extensive education than the diploma or certificate while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.
A number of states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore be sure to check for your location of future employment. As needed, the welding school you choose should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to providing the appropriate training to become a professional welder.
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Welder Certification Choices
There are various institutions that offer welding certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Numerous Oakmont PA employers not only demand a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered dependent on the type of work that the welder performs. Some of the things that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Operate in compliance with specific codes
- Work with certain metal thicknesses
- Work with certain types of welds
- Perform according to contract specifications
As already stated, some cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, some additionally require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and experienced welder. So just as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and make sure that the welder vocational school you choose prepares you for certification as needed.
Topics to Ask Welder Vocational Schools
As soon as you have decided on the credential you would like to obtain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can start to assess schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous welding vocational and trade schools in the Oakmont PA area. That’s why it’s necessary to establish up front what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have previously covered two significant ones that many people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As stated, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that need to be looked at. After all, the program you select is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So following are more factors you might want to evaluate before picking a welder tech school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder vocational school you decide on is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are 2 standard 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 offers, for instance Welding Technology. So confirm that the program you choose is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you receive a superior education, the accreditation may also help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Oakmont PA for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.
Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. Many welder diploma or degree programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Some other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Ask if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools must have relationships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for placements. These programs can help students find employment and establish relationships within the Oakmont PA welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an academic program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welding school you choose has a higher completion rate. A reduced rate might signify that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication of the quality of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Oakmont PA employer relationships to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.
Modern Facilities and Equipment. After you have decreased your selection of welder programs to 2 or 3 options, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Confirm that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be taught 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. Otherwise, ask a local Oakmont PA welding contractor 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 need to deal with. You should bear in mind that unless you have the ability to relocate, the welder program you choose must be within driving distance of your Oakmont PA home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welding certificate programs offered by community colleges. Also, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, more than likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school needs to be in an area or state where you ultimately will wish to work.
Small Classes. Personalized instruction is important for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to be overlooked in larger classes and not receive much individualized training. Ask what the typical class size is for the welder programs you are reviewing. Ask if you can sit in on a few classes so that you can see how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, speak with some of the students and get their evaluations. Also, talk to a few of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.
Flexible Class Scheduling. Many people learn a new trade while still employed at their current job. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Oakmont PA, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide those options. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of illness, work or family emergencies.
Online Welding Classes
Welding is truly a hands-on kind of profession, and therefore not extremely compatible with training online. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding classes offered by specific community colleges and trade schools in the greater Oakmont PA area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses primarily deal with such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to initiate their training and education. Nevertheless, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be done online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that desire to advance their knowledge or perhaps obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be extremely cautious and verify that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Guide to Fast Track Welding Programs Oakmont PA
Selecting the right welding training program will probably 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 Guide to Fast Track Welding Programs and wanted more information on the topic Guide to Evening Welding Programs. However, as we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare among the programs you are considering. It’s a must that any welding training that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Oakmont PA.
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Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Incorporated as a town in 1889, this Allegheny River community began in 1816 when a farmer, Michael Bright, bought a large tract of land 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Pittsburgh. The settlement took its name from a landmark tree, as the deed description reads, "Beginning at a black oak on the bank of the Allegheny River ..." The borough is best known for the nearby Oakmont Country Club, a premier golf course which has been the site of numerous U.S. Open golf tournaments, including the 2016 U.S. Open.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), of which 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2), or 8.99%, is water. The business district of town is on relatively flat land near the Allegheny River, but the main residential area is on the upward slope headed toward Oakmont Country Club and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Plum Creek flows through the borough.[5]
Oakmont has three land borders, including Plum to the east, and Penn Hills and Verona to the south. Across the Allegheny River to the west and northwest, Oakmont runs adjacent with O'Hara Township to the west and Harmar Township to the north (via the Hulton Bridge).
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