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Where To Take Welding Classes Prattville AL

How to Select the Right Welder Trade School near Prattville Alabama

Prattville AL welding school graduateLocating the right welder trade school near Prattville AL is an essential first step to launching your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are a lot of schools to select from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more significantly, once you have narrowed down your options, how do you select the best one? Most prospective students start by reviewing the schools that are closest to their residences. When they have located those that are within driving distance, they gravitate toward the least expensive one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are important issues 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 prudent to create a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s talk a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welding Degree and Certificate Training

Prattville AL welding trade school studentThere are several alternatives available to receive 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 Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also made available along with an apprenticeship program. Following are short summaries of the most typical welding programs offered in the Prattville AL.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, designed mainly to teach 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 finish and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology furnishes a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Some states and municipalities do have licensing requirements for welders, therefore make sure to find out for your location of future employment. If required, the welding school you choose should ready you for any licensing exams that you will have to take in addition to supplying the proper training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Options

Prattville AL welder working in constructionThere are various organizations that provide welding certifications, which test the skill level and knowledge of those applying. Many Prattville AL employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a renowned organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered dependent on the kind of work that the welder performs. A few of the skills that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

  • Operate in compliance with specific codes
  • Work with specified metal thicknesses
  • Work with certain kinds of welds
  • Perform based on contract specifications

As formerly stated, various 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 means to prove to employers that you are an exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and make certain that the welder tech school you select prepares you for certification as needed.

What to Ask Welder Vocational Schools

Questions to ask Prattville AL welding schoolsWhen you have chosen the credential you would like to earn, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to evaluate schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of welder vocational and trade schools in the Prattville AL area. That’s why it’s essential to decide in advance what qualifications your chosen 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 essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be looked at. 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 following are more factors you might need to evaluate before picking a welding vocational school.

Accreditation. It’s very important that the welding technical school you decide on is accredited by either a national or a regional organization. There are two standard kinds of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on a single program the school offers, for example Welding Technology. So make sure 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, for example 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 obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available in Prattville AL 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.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of welding certificate 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. Ask if the schools you are considering assist in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job assistance program. These schools must have associations with local unions and other metal working businesses to which they can refer their students. Older schools may have a larger network of graduates that they can rely upon for placements. These programs can assist students in finding employment and develop relationships within the Prattville AL welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the percentage of students that begin an educational program and finish it. It’s important that the welder program you choose has a high completion rate. A low rate might indicate that the students who were in the program were dissatisfied with the training, the teachers, 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 confirm that the program has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Prattville AL employer relationships to help students secure apprenticeships or employment upon graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your choice of welding schools to two or three possibilities, you should consider visiting the campuses to inspect their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained on are modern. Specifically, the training equipment should be comparable to what you will be using in the field. If you are not sure what to look for, and are currently in an apprenticeship program, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. If not, ask a local Prattville AL welding contractor if they can give you a few pointers.

School Location. Although we previously briefly discussed the significance of location, there are a couple of additional points that we should deal with. You should keep in mind that unless you have the ability to move, the welding program you select needs to be within commuting distance of your Prattville AL home. If you do choose to attend an out-of-state school, apart from moving costs there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially the case for welding degree programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers a job placement or apprenticeship program, most likely their placements are within the school’s local community. So the location of the school should be in an area or state where you ultimately will desire to work.

Smaller Classes. Individualized training is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get lost in larger classes and not get much one-on-one training. Ask what the usual class size is for the welder programs you are reviewing. Inquire if you can attend a couple of classes so that you can see how much individual attention the students are getting. While there, talk with several 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 profession while still employed at their present job. Check to see that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Prattville AL, make sure that the schools you are assessing offer those options. If you can only enroll part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Online Welding Courses

student attending welding classes online in Prattville ALWelding is truly a manual kind of vocation, and for that reason not extremely compatible with training online. Having said that, there are a few online welding classes offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Prattville AL area that can be credited toward a certificate or degree program. These courses primarily deal with such subjects as safety, reading blueprints, and metallurgy. They can help provide a beginner a foundation to start their education and training. However, the most significant point is that you can’t learn how to weld or handle welding materials until you actually do it. Clearly that can’t be performed online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for seasoned 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 very cautious and make sure that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of environment.

Attending a Welding School in Prattville AL?

If you have decided to enroll in a welder training program in the Prattville Alabama area, you may find the following information both informative and helpful about the location of your new school campus.

Prattville, Alabama

Prattville is a city in Autauga and Elmore counties in the State of Alabama. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 33,960. Nicknamed "The Fountain City" due to the many artesian wells in the area, Prattville is part of the Montgomery metropolitan statistical area and serves as the county seat of Autauga County.

Prattville was founded in 1839 by industrialist and architect Daniel Pratt. The area was largely inhabited by Native Americans and a few settlers when Pratt, a native of Temple, New Hampshire, first observed the Autauga Creek in the 1830s. He purchased approximately 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) from Joseph May at $21.00 an acre, and set out to build his manufacturing facilities and the town along the banks of Autauga Creek. The location was chosen because the creek could supply power to the cotton gin manufacturing equipment. The town became an industrial center and rapidly grew. In 1868, it was named the county seat for Autauga County.[4]

On February 17, 2008, Prattville was hit by an F3 tornado which destroyed more than 45 homes and businesses and damaged over 700. Twenty-nine people were injured with no fatalities. Preliminary estimates put the damage at $85 million in insured and uninsured damages.[6]

Choose the Ideal Welding Technical School Prattville AL

Selecting the right welding school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Where To Take Welding Classes. However, as we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare among the programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any welding training that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each program provides unique options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you select is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional welder in Prattville AL.

 

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