How to Find the Right Welder Training Program near Stroudsburg Pennsylvania
Enrolling in the ideal welder technical school near Stroudsburg PA is an important first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to pick from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you pick the best one? Many people begin by checking out the schools that are closest to their homes. When they have identified those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the cheapest one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary concerns when reviewing welding vocational schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations 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 develop a list of qualifications that your selected 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 Certificate and Degree Training Courses
There are multiple options 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 offered in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Following are short explanations of the most prevalent welding programs available in the Stroudsburg PA area.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally made available by trade and technical schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, fashioned largely 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 2 years to complete and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology offers a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that readies students to enter the workforce.
Some states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore don’t forget to find out for your location of future employment. If required, the welder school you select should prep 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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Welder Certification Options
There are a number of organizations that offer welder certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Stroudsburg PA employers not only expect a certificate or degree from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned agency like the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are available dependent on the type of work that the welder does. Some 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 specific types of welds
- Perform in compliance with contract specifications
As earlier mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many additionally require certification for various kinds of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and qualified welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and make sure that the welder tech school you decide on prepares you for certification as needed.
Questions to Ask Welding Trade Programs
When you have decided on the credential you would like to earn, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to compare schools. As you probably know, there are numerous welder vocational and trade schools in the Stroudsburg PA area. That’s why it’s important to determine in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already covered two important ones that most people look at first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that should be looked at. After all, the program you choose is going to furnish the training that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are some additional factors you might want to consider before choosing a welder tech school.
Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder tech school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. 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, for example Welding Technology. So make sure that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you obtain an excellent education, the accreditation might also assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not offered in Stroudsburg PA for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.
Apprenticeship and Job Placement Programs. A large number of welder diploma or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Some 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 assistance program. These schools must have partnerships with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop associations within the Stroudsburg PA welding community.
Completion and Job Placement Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an academic program and finish it. It’s crucial that the welding program you choose has a higher completion rate. A low rate might 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 higher job placement rate will not only confirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Stroudsburg PA contacts to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.
Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your choice of welder programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained on are up-to-date. Specifically, the training equipment should be similar to what you will be using on the job. If you are uncertain 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 Stroudsburg PA welding professional if they can give you some suggestions.
School Location. Although we already briefly talked about the importance of location, there are a few additional issues that we should cover. You should keep in mind that unless you can move, the welder program you pick needs to be within driving distance of your Stroudsburg PA home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welding diploma 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 should be in a region or state where you subsequently will want to work.
Small Classes. Personalized training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in bigger classes and not get much individualized instruction. Ask what the usual class size is for the welder schools you are reviewing. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can experience just how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with some of the students and get their opinions. Similarly, talk with a few of the teachers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.
Flexible Class Schedules. Some people learn a new profession while still employed at their current job. Check to see that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Stroudsburg PA, verify that the schools you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any because of illness, work or family emergencies.
Online Welder Schools
Welding is very much a manual kind of profession, and consequently not very suitable for online training. However, there are a few online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Stroudsburg PA 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 provide a beginner a basis to begin their training and education. Nevertheless, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials until you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be performed online. These skills must be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned welders that want to advance their expertise or perhaps earn a more advanced degree. So if you should come across an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and confirm that the majority of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
Welding Technical School Stroudsburg PA
Picking the right welder training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Welding Technical School and wanted more information on the topic Online Welding Training. 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 prerequisite that any welding school that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal welding machine to train on. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world context, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Stroudsburg PA.
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Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Stroudsburg is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the state's Poconos region, approximately five miles (8 km) from the Delaware Water Gap, at the confluence of the Brodhead, McMichaels and Pocono Creeks. It is in northeastern Pennsylvania. It is also the county seat of Monroe County. Stroudsburg is part of the East Stroudsburg, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the New York combined statistical area. The population was 5,567 at the 2010 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2).1.8 square miles (4.6 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (1.67%) is water.
Stroudsburg is located in the heart of the Pocono Mountains, and serves as the Monroe County seat. The Pocono region remains Pennsylvania’s biggest tourist attraction and has nearly $1 billion in economic impact with over 8 million visitors annually.
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