How to Find the Right Welder Certification Program near Trexlertown Pennsylvania
Finding the ideal welder trade school near Trexlertown PA is an important first step to beginning your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you select the right one? A number of prospective students start by looking at the schools that are nearest to their residences. When they have found those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and tuition cost are important considerations when reviewing welding technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other concerns include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before beginning your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s wise to create a list of qualifications that your chosen school must have. But before we explore our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.
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Welding Degree and Certificate Programs
There are multiple options to obtain training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can earn a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief summaries of the most common welding programs offered in the Trexlertown PA area.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally made available by trade and technical schools and take about 1 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 additional skills for experienced welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to complete and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.
Many states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, so be sure to check for your location of future employment. As needed, the welding school you pick should prep you for any licensing exams that you will have to pass in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.
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Welder Certification Alternatives
There are several organizations that provide welding certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Trexlertown PA employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available based on the type of work that the welder performs. A few of the skills that certification can attest to are the welder’s ability to
- Operate in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specific metal thicknesses
- Work with specific kinds of welds
- Perform in compliance with contract specifications
As earlier mentioned, many states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many additionally require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and qualified welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and make sure that the welder vocational school you decide on readies you for certification as needed.
Subjects to Ask Welder Vocational Programs
After you have chosen the credential you want to obtain, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to assess schools. As you probably know, there are a large number of welding trade and vocational schools in the Trexlertown PA area. That’s why it’s important to establish up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have previously discussed a couple of significant ones that many people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be considered. After all, the program you select is going to furnish the instruction that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are more factors you might need to evaluate before selecting a welder trade school.
Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder tech school you select is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are 2 basic types of accreditation. The school may earn Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school has, for instance Welding Technology. So make certain that the program you select is accredited, not just the school itself. 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). In addition to helping ensure that you receive a superior education, the accreditation can also assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Trexlertown PA for non-accredited schools. Finally, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited as well.
Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous welding certificate or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will assist in placing you in an apprenticeship or a job upon graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. The schools must have partnerships 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 develop relationships within the Trexlertown PA welding community.
Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an instructional program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welder school you pick has a higher completion rate. A low rate might indicate that the students who enrolled in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the teachers, 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 confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of Trexlertown PA employer relationships to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment after graduation.
Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have narrowed down your selection of welder programs to 2 or 3 possibilities, you should think out going to the campuses to inspect their facilities. Make sure that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed 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, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Trexlertown PA welding professional if they can give you some pointers.
School Location. Although we already briefly talked about the relevance of location, there are a few additional points that we should cover. You should keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the welder program you choose needs to be within driving distance of your Trexlertown PA home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from moving expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school provides a job placement or apprenticeship program, most 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 wish to work.
Small Classes. Individualized training is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s easy to get overlooked in bigger classes and not receive much individualized training. Find out what the typical class size is for the welding schools you are looking at. Ask if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can witness just how much individual attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with a few of the students and get their evaluations. Also, chat with some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.
Flexible Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new profession while still working at their present job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are considering are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Trexlertown PA, verify that the schools you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you choose offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Online Welding Training Programs
Welding is very much a hands-on type of profession, and for that reason not extremely suitable for training online. Even so, there are a few online welding courses offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Trexlertown PA area that may be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These classes primarily deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to begin their education and training. Nevertheless, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be performed 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 want 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 extremely cautious and make certain that the greater part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.
Online Welding Classes Trexlertown PA
Picking the right welding school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new trade. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Online Welding Classes and wanted more information on the topic Colleges That Offer Welding. However, as we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any welder training program that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Trexlertown PA.
Other Pennsylvania Welder Locations
Trexlertown, Pennsylvania
Trexlertown (also Trexlerstown[1]) is a census-designated place in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies in the Lehigh Valley between Breinigsville and Wescosville. As of the 2010 census the population was 1,988 residents.
Jeremiah Trexler obtained land adjoining that of his father in Upper Macungie Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he kept a tavern as early as in 1732. In 1734 a road was laid out from his tavern through North Wales in now Montgomery County to Philadelphia. As was the custom of the time, a village grew around the tavern, which came to be known as Trexlertown.[2]
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