Tag Archives: Local Welding Schools near New Albany MS 38652

MIG Welding School New Albany MS

How to Enroll In the Right Welder Degree Program near New Albany Mississippi

New Albany MS welding school graduateLocating the ideal welding technical school near New Albany MS is an important first step to starting your new occupation as a professional welder. But since there are so many schools to choose from, how do you know which ones to consider? And more notably, once you have fine tuned your options, how do you select the best one? Many people start by reviewing the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have located those that are within driving distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and the cost of tuition are necessary considerations when examining welding trade schools, but they are not the only ones. Other factors include such things as reputation, accreditation and job placement rates. So before beginning your search for a vocational school to become a welder, it’s wise to establish a list of qualifications that your selected school must have. But before we delve into our due diligence checklist, let’s cover a little bit about how to become a welder.

Welder Certificate and Degree Training Programs

New Albany MS welding trade school studentThere are multiple options available to get training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can earn 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 offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Below are short descriptions of the most common welding programs available in the New Albany MS.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally made available by trade and technical schools and require about one year to finish. They are more hands-on training in nature, created primarily to teach welding skills. They can furnish a good foundation for a new journeyman or apprentice welder, or supplemental 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 furnishes a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still providing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Some states and municipalities do have licensing prerequisites for welders, therefore be sure to find out for your location of future employment. If required, the welding school you select should prepare you for any licensing exams that you will need to pass in addition to furnishing the proper training to become a professional welder.

Welder Certification Options

New Albany MS welder working in constructionThere are multiple organizations that provide welding certifications, which assess the knowledge and skill level of those applying. Many New Albany MS employers not only require a degree or certificate from an accredited welding school, but also certification from a respected organization such as the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are available dependent on the type of work that the welder performs. Just some of the things that certification can acknowledge are the welder’s ability to

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

As formerly stated, many cities, states or local municipalities have licensing mandates for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number also require certification for different kinds of work. Certification is also a way to prove to employers that you are an extremely skilled and qualified welder. So similarly as with licensing, check the requirements for your local area and make certain that the welding technical school you choose prepares you for certification as needed.

Questions to Ask Welding Tech Schools

Questions to ask New Albany MS welding schoolsAfter you have chosen the credential you want to earn, a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to assess schools. As you probably know, there are a large number of welder trade and technical schools in the New Albany MS 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 most people consider first, which are location and tuition cost. 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 furnish the training that will be the foundation of your new profession as a welder. So following are some additional factors you may want to evaluate before choosing a welder trade school.

Accreditation. It’s extremely important that the welder trade school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national organization. There are two standard kinds 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 choose is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you obtain a superior education, the accreditation can also assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available in New Albany MS for non-accredited schools. Also, for those states or local governments that require licensing, they may require that the welder training program be accredited also.

Job Assistance and Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous welder degree or diploma programs are provided in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Other schools will assist in placing you in a job or an apprenticeship 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 various 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 New Albany MS welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that start an educational program and complete it. It’s crucial that the welder program you choose has a higher completion rate. A lower rate could signify that the students who enrolled 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 caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of New Albany MS contacts to help students secure employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Modern Equipment and Facilities. Once you have limited your choice of welding programs to two or three options, you should think out going to the campuses to evaluate their facilities. Verify that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be taught on are modern. In particular, 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, ask the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local New Albany MS 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 address. You should remember that unless you can move, the welder program you choose needs to be within commuting distance of your New Albany MS home. If you do choose to enroll in an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there might be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is particularly the case 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 wish to work.

Smaller Classes. One-on-one instruction is important for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get overlooked in bigger classes and not get much individualized instruction. Find out what the average class size is for the welder programs you are considering. Inquire if you can sit in on a couple of classes so that you can observe just how much personal attention the students are receiving. While there, speak with some of the students and get their evaluations. Also, speak with some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what credentials and certifications they hold.

Flexible Class Scheduling. Some people learn a new trade while still employed at their present job. Check to see that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are convenient enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near New Albany MS, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide those options. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify that the school you pick offers part-time enrollment. Also, check to see what the policy is to make up classes if you you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Online Welding Training

student attending welding classes online in New Albany MSWelding is very much a hands-on kind of trade, and consequently not very compatible with online training. However, there are a few online welding classes offered by various community colleges and vocational schools in the greater New Albany MS area that may count toward a certificate or degree program. These courses primarily cover such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give 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 unless you actually do it. Naturally that can’t be done online. These skills need to be learned in an on-campus setting or in an apprenticeship. Online or distance learning is better suited for experienced welders that would like to advance their expertise or perhaps obtain a more advanced degree. So if you should find an online welding degree or certificate program, be very careful and confirm that the larger part of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Attending a Welding School in New Albany MS?

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

New Albany, Mississippi

New Albany is a city in Union County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 8,526 at the 2010 census. New Albany is the county seat of Union County.[2] New Albany was first organized in 1840 at the site of a grist mill and saw mill on the Tallahatchie River and was developed as a river port. New Albany is the birthplace of author William Faulkner as well as Eli Whiteside and Bettie Wilson and the adopted home of Morris Futorian, father of the Northeast Mississippi furniture industry. As of 2010 New Albany has a population of 8,526 and is known for its education system, well-educated labor force and strong work ethic. The city houses modern factories, robust neighborhoods and vibrant shopping centers, while at the same time preserving its historic downtown area.

Organized in 1840 at the site of a grist mill and a saw mill on the Tallahatchie River near the intersection of two historic Chickasaw Indian trade trails, the town developed as a river port and as a regional center for agriculture and commerce. The Civil War interrupted this progress, however, as Union troops swept through the city and burned all but a few buildings.

Union County was formed from parts of neighboring Lee, Pontotoc, and Tippah Counties in 1870, with New Albany designated as county seat. The city’s new role as a center of government led to renewed economic activity. Citizens’ efforts in the late 1880s to secure a railroad through New Albany were rewarded with two railroads connecting the community to points north, south, east and west. Depot clerk for one of the railroads was the father of William Faulkner. Born in 1897 in a single-story clapboard house, Faulkner went on to write 19 novels and 75 short stories, winning the coveted Nobel Prize and the Pulitzer Prize twice for his work.

Choose the Ideal Welding Vocational School New Albany MS

Choosing the right welding school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in MIG Welding School. However, as we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any welding training that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their personal welding machine to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each program provides unique options for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you choose is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional welder in New Albany MS.

 

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