If you’re a detail-oriented individual with a strong mechanical aptitude and would enjoy working in a manufacturing or construction environment, then becoming a welder could be an ideal career choice. Welders use handheld or remotely controlled equipment to join metal components together. You can also earn a solid living as a welder. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual income for welders as of 2016 was nearly $40,000, while the top 10 percent earned more than $60,000 per year.
However, welding demands a unique skill set that requires specialized training. In addition to earning your high school diploma or GED, you will likely need to attend a trade school that offers a welding program. Here is a closer look at some of the leading welding programs in Pennsylvania — specifically those in the eastern portion of the state.
Located approximately 50 miles from Reading, PA in the Allentown area, WTTI is ranked as the second-best welding school in PA by Universities.com. The school offers a 900-hour Welder Fitter program designed for students with little or no welding experience. You will learn how to perform metal cutting by using an Oxyacetylene torch, as well as how to apply several processes for making sound welds on metal and carbon steel plate. You will also receive specialized, hands-on training on gas tungsten arc welding (TIG) techniques.
Another career-oriented welding program available at WTTI is the 740-hour Combination Welding course. This program covers many of the same welding fundamentals as the Welder Fitter course, although it does not include training in areas such as blueprint reading, pipefitting and structural layout, and there is no additional TIG welding training.
Financial assistance is available to qualified students for both programs.
Located in Williamsport, about two hours from the Reading area, Penn College ranks third on the Universities.com list of top Pennsylvania welding schools. Penn College offers two accredited welding degree programs. If you’re looking to develop entry-level skills in three basic welding techniques, the Welding Certificate program can be a good starting point for your career. Tuition for this comprehensive four-semester, 59-credit program is approximately $16,000 per year. Associate degree programs include Welding Technology and Metal Fabrication Technology, and you can also earn a B.S. degree in Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology.
Located just east of Allentown, in the Lehigh Valley region, Triangle Tech is the eighth-best welding trade school in Pennsylvania, according to Universites.com. The school’s Welding & Fabrication Technology program provides hands-on instruction in welding various types of metals using the most sophisticated techniques on the market. Highlights of the curriculum include TIG and MIG welding, blueprint reading, pipe fitting and welding, metal surfacing and weld inspection.
Enrollment in the Triangle Tech PA welding school program also includes completion of the American Welding Society (AWS) and American Society of Metal Engineers (ASME) certification exams as part of the requirements for graduation. Successful completion of the program will enable you to earn an associate degree in Specialized Technology.
If you reside in the greater Philadelphia area, you should know that the Delaware County Community College in Media offers a multitude of welding classes in Pennsylvania, covering all aspects of the vocation. You can enroll in the Welding Certificate Program, a comprehensive, 225-hour hands-on training program that will help you develop skills to perform in-demand welding techniques such as Oxyfuel cutting, shielded metal arc welding and gas metal arc welding. You will also receive instruction in blueprint reading and the fundamentals of fabrication. The cost of the program is approximately $4,000.
Delaware County Community College also offers an assortment of individual welding classes in PA, such as Intro to Welding Processes, Gas Metal Arc Welding and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding. Each of these courses consists of 45 hours of instruction and cost just under $500 apiece.
If you’re a Harrisburg-area resident, HACC offers a 35-credit Welding Technology Certificate program. In addition to learning how to perform seven different types of welds, you will develop essential skills in blueprint reading and weld inspection and testing. You will also take classes in math and English to round out your educational experience. Upon the successful completion of this certificate program, you will have the practical skills required to perform welding in flat, vertical, horizontal and overhead welding positions, making you a viable candidate for an entry-level welding position.
Reading, PA-based Summit Steel & Manufacturing, Inc. partners with many of the top PA welding schools to fill open positions on our team. We value talented job candidates who have demonstrated an ability to work hard to master the skills we require. As a Summit Steel employee, you will work in a state-of-the-art, 120,000-square-foot facility and have access to the most advanced welding equipment and technologies in the industry. You will also play an integral role in our ongoing quest to meet customers’ expectations for quality, on-time delivery and service.
If you’re a graduate of an accredited PA welding school, have attained AWS certification, and are looking for a challenging, rewarding career opportunity, we’d love to hear from you! To get more information about our current job openings, fill out and submit our online contact form or give us a call at 610-921-1119 today.
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