How to Enroll In the Right Welder Degree Program near Portsmouth Virginia
Choosing the ideal welder school near Portsmouth VA is an essential first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to choose from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more importantly, once you have fine tuned your choices, how do you pick the best one? Most prospective students 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 costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations when examining welding technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as reputation, accreditation 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 examine 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 Classes
There are several options to receive training as a welder in a trade or technical school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced programs than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available along with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief explanations of the most typical welding programs available in the Portsmouth VA area.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are normally made available by technical and trade schools and take about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed largely to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or specialized skills for experienced welders.
- Associate Degree Programs will take 2 years to complete and are usually offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more well-rounded education than the diploma or certificate while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.
A number of municipalities and states do have licensing requirements for welders, so be sure to check for your location of future employment. As required, the welder school you pick should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will have to take in addition to supplying the suitable training to become a professional welder.
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Welder Certification Alternatives
There are various institutions that provide welding certifications, which test the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many Portsmouth VA employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a renowned agency such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A wide range of certifications are available based on the kind of work that the welder performs. A few of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to
- Work in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specific metal thicknesses
- Work with specific kinds of welds
- Work according to contract specifications
As earlier stated, various states, cities or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those requiring licensing, many also require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are a highly skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and verify that the welding tech school you choose preps you for certification as needed.
Subjects to Ask Welder Trade Programs
When you have chosen the credential you would like to obtain, a degree, certificate or diploma, you can begin to assess schools. As you can imagine, there are many welder trade and technical schools in the Portsmouth VA area. That’s why it’s necessary to decide in advance what qualifications your chosen school must have. We have already discussed two important ones that many people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. As mentioned, although they are very important qualifications, they are not the only ones that must be looked at. After all, the school you select is going to furnish the education that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So following are some additional factors you might need to evaluate before selecting a welding vocational school.
Accreditation. It’s essential that the welder tech school you pick is accredited by either a national or a regional agency. There are two 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 example Welding Technology. So make sure 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, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you get a quality education, the accreditation might also help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable in Portsmouth VA for schools that are not accredited. Also, for those states or municipalities that require licensing, they may require that the welding training program be accredited also.
Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Many welder diploma or degree programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in an apprenticeship or a job after 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 associations with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established schools may have a more substantial network of graduates that they can rely upon for referrals. These programs can help students find employment and develop associations within the Portsmouth VA welding community.
Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that enroll in an educational program and finish it. It’s essential that the welding program you pick has a higher completion rate. A lower rate may signify that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the training, 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 school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Portsmouth VA employer relationships to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships upon graduation.
Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. After you have limited your selection of welder schools to 2 or 3 options, you should think out visiting the campuses to look over their facilities. Confirm 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 on the job. If you are uncertain 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 Portsmouth VA welding professional if they can give you a few tips.
School Location. Even though we already briefly discussed the importance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we need to deal with. You should remember that unless you are able to relocate, the welder program you choose must be within commuting distance of your Portsmouth VA home. If you do decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there may be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly true for welder certificate programs offered by community colleges. Furthermore, if the school offers 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 an area or state where you subsequently will want to work.
Small Classes. One-on-one training is essential for a hands-on trade such as welding. It’s easy to get overlooked in bigger classes and not obtain much individualized instruction. Find out what the usual class size is for the welder programs you are reviewing. Ask if you can attend a few 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 evaluations. Similarly, talk to a couple of the trainers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.
Convenient Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are considering are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Portsmouth VA, make sure that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any because of illness, work or family emergencies.
Online Welder Training
Welding is very much a manual type of profession, and for that reason not extremely compatible with training online. Having said that, there are a small number of online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and vocational schools in the greater Portsmouth VA area that can count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses primarily deal with such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a basis to start their education and training. However, 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 performed online. These skills have to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for experienced welders that want to advance their expertise or possibly attain 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 setting.
Guide to Part Time Welding Programs Portsmouth VA
Picking the best welder training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Guide to Part Time Welding Programs and wanted more information on the topic Weekend Welding Courses. However, as we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Portsmouth VA.
Other Virginia Welder Locations
Portsmouth, Virginia
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S. Navy facility that is located in Portsmouth. The shipyard's original name, Gosport, was changed to reflect its location in what once had been Norfolk County, Virginia. It constructs, refits and remodels ships of the US Navy, and is one of the few facilities in the world with a dry dock large enough to accommodate an aircraft carrier.
Both Norfolk and the city of Portsmouth have miles of waterfront land on opposite sides of the Elizabeth River as part of the harbor of Hampton Roads. Its three Elizabeth River ferries transport pedestrians between the Portsmouth Olde Towne Historic District and downtown Norfolk.
Portsmouth is located on the western side of the Elizabeth River directly across from the City of Norfolk. In 1620, the future site of Portsmouth was recognized as suitable shipbuilding location by John Wood, a shipbuilder, who petitioned King James I of England for a land grant. The surrounding area was soon settled as a plantation community.[6]
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