How to Find the Right Welder Technical School near Shreveport Louisiana

Selecting the ideal welder school near Shreveport LA is an important first step to starting your new career 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 right one? Most prospective students start by looking at the schools that are nearest to their residences. Once they have located those that are within commuting distance, they are drawn toward the least costly one. Yes, location and tuition cost are necessary considerations when evaluating welding technical schools, but they are not the only ones. Other considerations include such things as accreditation, reputation and job placement rates. So before initiating your search for a trade school to become a welder, it’s prudent to create a list of qualifications that your chosen 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 Certificate and Degree Training Courses

There are several options to receive training as a welder in a trade or vocational school. You can obtain a a certificate, a diploma or an Associate Degree. Bachelor Degrees are offered in Welding Engineering or Welding Technology, but are more advanced courses than most journeyman welders will need. Some programs are also offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program. Below are brief summaries of the most typical welding programs offered in the Shreveport LA.

• Diploma and Certificate Programs are normally made available by technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They are more hands-on training in scope, designed primarily to teach 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 two years to finish and are most often offered by community colleges. An Associate Degree in Welding Technology provides a more extensive education than the certificate or diploma while still furnishing the foundation that prepares students to enter the workforce.

Many municipalities and states do have licensing prerequisites for welders, so don’t forget to check for your location of potential employment. If needed, the welding school you select should prepare you for any licensing examinations that you will need to pass in addition to providing the appropriate training to become a qualified welder.

Welder Certification Alternatives

There are multiple institutions that offer welding certifications, which evaluate the knowledge and skill level of those applying. A large number of Shreveport LA employers not only expect a degree or certificate from an accredited welding program, but also certification from a respected organization like the American Welding Society (AWS). Different certifications are offered based on the kind of work that the welder performs. A few 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 certain kinds of welds
• Perform in compliance with contract specifications

As formerly mentioned, some states, cities or local municipalities have licensing requirements for welders. Of those mandating licensing, a number also require certification for different types of work. Certification is also a means to demonstrate to employers that you are an extremely skilled and knowledgeable welder. So just as with licensing, look into the requirements for your location and confirm that the welding vocational school you select readies you for certification as needed.

Subjects to Ask Welding Trade Programs

Once you have decided on the credential you want to attain, a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to evaluate schools. As you probably know, there are many welding trade and vocational schools in the Shreveport LA area. That’s why it’s essential to establish up front what qualifications your school of choice must have. We have previously discussed two significant ones that many people look at first, which are location and the cost of tuition. As mentioned, although they are essential qualifications, they are not the only ones that need to be looked at. After all, the school you decide on is going to furnish the training that will be the foundation of your new career as a welder. So below are some additional factors you might need to consider before picking a welder tech school.

Accreditation. It’s essential that the welding technical school you choose is accredited by either a regional or a national agency. There are two basic kinds of accreditation. The school may receive Institutional Accreditation based on all of their programs. Programmatic Accreditation is based on an individual program the school offers, such as Welding Technology. So verify that the program you pick is accredited, not just the school itself. Additionally, the accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). In addition to helping make sure that you receive an excellent education, the accreditation may also help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available in Shreveport LA for schools that are not accredited. Finally, for those states or municipalities that require 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 offered combined with an apprenticeship program. Various other schools will help place you in a job or an apprenticeship after graduation. Find out if the schools you are reviewing help in placing students in apprenticeships or have a job placement program. The schools must have partnerships 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 establish associations within the Shreveport LA welding community.

Job Placement and Completion Rates. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students that begin an educational program and complete it. It’s essential that the welding program you select has a high completion rate. A lower 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 an indication of the caliber of training. A higher job placement rate will not only verify that the program has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Shreveport LA employer relationships to help students obtain employment or apprenticeships after graduation.

Up-to-date Equipment and Facilities. Once you have decreased your choice of welder programs to two or three options, you should think out going to the campuses to look over their facilities. Make sure that both the equipment and the facilities that you will be trained on are modern. 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, consult with the master welder you are working under for guidance. Otherwise, ask a local Shreveport LA welding professional if they can give you some tips.

School Location. Although we previously briefly covered the importance of location, there are a few additional issues that we should cover. You should keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the welding school you select needs to be within commuting distance of your Shreveport LA home. If you do decide to attend an out-of-state school, apart from relocation expenses there could be higher tuition fees for out-of-state residents. This is especially true for welding diploma programs offered by community colleges. Additionally, if the school offers an apprenticeship or job placement program, often their placements are within the school’s regional community. So the location of the school should be in an area or state where you ultimately will wish to work.

Smaller Classes. One-on-one instruction is essential for a manual trade such as welding. It’s possible to get overlooked in larger classes and not get much personalized instruction. Ask what the typical class size is for the welder schools you are looking at. Inquire 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 a few of the students and get their opinions. Also, talk to some of the trainers and ask what their welding experience has been and what certifications and credentials they have earned.

Convenient Class Schedules. Many people learn a new trade while still working at their present job. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are looking at are flexible enough to satisfy your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evenings or on weekends near Shreveport LA, make sure that the schools you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, confirm that the school you decide on offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make up classes if you you miss any due to illness, work or family responsibilities.

Online Welding Courses

Welding is truly a manual type of vocation, and therefore not very compatible with online training. Having said that, there are some online welding programs offered by specific community colleges and technical schools in the greater Shreveport LA area that can be credited toward a degree or certificate program. These courses primarily deal with such subjects as reading blueprints, safety,, and metallurgy. They can help give a beginner a basis to start their training and education. However, the most important point is that you can’t learn how to weld or work with welding materials until you actually do it. Obviously that can’t be accomplished 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 come across an online welding certificate or degree program, be very cautious and confirm that the bulk of the training is done on campus or in a workshop type of setting.

Attending a Welding School in Shreveport LA?

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

Pick the Best Welding Vocational Program Shreveport LA

Selecting the best welding school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally stopped by our website because you had an interest in Learn TIG Welding. However, as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare among the programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any welding training that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their own welding machine to train on. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each training 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 talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new trade as a professional welder in Shreveport LA.