How to Select the Right Welder Degree Program near Clearlake Washington
Choosing the ideal welding vocational school near Clearlake WA is an important first step to starting your new career as a professional welder. But since there are numerous schools to select from, how do you determine which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your alternatives, how do you select the best one? Most people start 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 crucial concerns when evaluating welding technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s prudent to establish a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we examine our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.
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Welding Degree and Certificate Training Programs
There are several alternatives available to obtain training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can obtain a diploma, a certificate or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are available in Welding Technology or Welding Engineering, but are more advanced degrees than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available along with an apprenticeship program. Following are brief summaries of the most common welding programs available in the Clearlake WA area.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally offered by technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They are more hands-on training in scope, designed primarily 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 finish 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 supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.
Some states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so be sure to check for your location of future employment. If needed, the welding school you select should prep you for any licensing examinations that you will have to take in addition to furnishing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.
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Welding Certification Options
There are several organizations that offer welder certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Numerous Clearlake WA employers not only require a certificate or degree from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). A variety of certifications are available dependent on the type of work that the welder performs. Some of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to
- Work in compliance with specific codes
- Work with specified metal thicknesses
- Work with certain kinds of welds
- Perform in compliance with contract specifications
As formerly mentioned, various cities, states or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, some also require certification for various types of work. Certification is also a way to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and experienced welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your location and confirm that the welding tech school you select readies you for certification if needed.
Questions to Ask Welding Vocational Programs
Once you have decided on the credential you want to earn, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to evaluate schools. As you can imagine, there are numerous welder vocational and trade schools in the Clearlake WA area. That’s why it’s necessary to decide up front what qualifications your selected school must have. We have already covered two important ones that many people consider first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As stated, although they are very important qualifiers, they are not the only ones that should be looked at. After all, the school you select is going to provide the training that will be the foundation of your new vocation as a welder. So below are some additional factors you may want to evaluate before picking a welder vocational school.
Accreditation. It’s very important that the welding tech school you decide on is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are two 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, such as Welding Technology. So verify that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school alone. Also, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as 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 may also help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable in Clearlake WA for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or municipalities that mandate licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited as well.
Apprenticeship and Job Assistance Programs. Numerous welder diploma or degree programs are provided combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Ask if the schools you are considering help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools should have partnerships with local unions and various metal working businesses to which they can place their students. More established schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can utilize for referrals. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop associations within the Clearlake WA welding community.
Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an educational program and finish it. It’s important that the welding program you choose has a higher completion rate. A lower rate could signify that the students who joined the program were dissatisfied with the training, the instructors, or the facilities, and quit. The job placement rate is also an indication of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Clearlake WA contacts to assist students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.
Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have narrowed down your selection of welding schools to two or three options, you should consider visiting the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Make sure that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be instructed on are up-to-date. In particular, the training equipment should be comparable 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. Otherwise, ask a local Clearlake WA welding contractor if they can give you a few pointers.
School Location. Although we previously briefly discussed the importance of location, there are a couple of additional issues that we should cover. You should keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the welding program you select must be within driving distance of your Clearlake WA home. If you do opt to attend an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welding diploma programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, 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 desire to work.
Small Classes. Individualized training is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to be overlooked in larger classes and not receive much personalized instruction. Ask what the usual class size is for the welding schools you are reviewing. Inquire if you can attend some classes so that you can witness how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, talk with several of the students and get their feedback. Also, speak with a few of the teachers and find out what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.
Flexible Class Scheduling. Lots of folks learn a new trade while still working at their current job. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evenings or on weekends near Clearlake WA, confirm that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
Online Welding Training Programs
Welding is truly a hands-on kind of profession, and for that reason not extremely compatible with online training. Having said that, there are some online welding courses offered by certain community colleges and trade schools in the greater Clearlake WA area that can be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These courses mainly cover such topics as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help give a novice a foundation to begin their training and education. However, the most critical point is that you can’t learn how to weld or use welding materials unless you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be performed online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus environment or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is more appropriate for experienced welders that desire to advance their knowledge or possibly earn a more advanced degree. So if you should discover an online welding degree or certificate program, be extremely cautious and make certain that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.
School Welding Clearlake WA
Selecting the ideal welding school 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 School Welding and wanted more information on the topic Local Welding Classes near. However, as we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any welder training program that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every training program offers different options for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional welder in Clearlake WA.
Other Washington Welder Locations
NetMotion Software
NetMotion Software is a privately held software company specializing in mobile performance management.[3][4][5] Founded in 2001 and based in Seattle, Washington, NetMotion develops software for organizations with mobile workforces designed to allow them to manage, optimize, accelerate and secure traffic to mobile devices.[6] The company's software is used in utilities, healthcare, telecommunication, public safety, government, insurance and manufacturing.[6]
The company was formed in 2001 as a spin-off from WRQ, Inc. In 2006, NetMotion merged with Padcom, Inc.[7] In September 2010[8] and again in 2011[9]. In September 2012, NetMotion was acquired by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P.[10] Under Clearlake's ownership, NetMotion expanded into the European and Asia Pacific markets seeking additional growth.[11] In July 2016, Christopher Kenessey was named CEO,[12] then in August of that same year NetMotion was acquired by The Carlyle Group.[11]
The bulk of the company's operations are located at the North American headquarters in Seattle, Washington. Three sales offices in Europe handle international sales including sales into Australia, New Zealand and several African countries.[13]
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