Welding/Trade school questions

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Although my youngest is my brightest child, he's also my worst student.

He is a junior in high school this year, and is dead set on going to welding school instead of college. No amount of reason has convinced him to consider doing both - he says he wants no more academic courses after high school. Because I've experienced my other two children going out on their own, I realize it's a waste of time/money/tears to try to make him do anything other than what he's got his heart set on doing. Unfortunately, my ex's (his dad's) family has been pestering him for years now that he has to go to college and make something of himself and not be like them. That strategy is not working and honestly it's putting my son under so much stress to be expected to fulfill their unrealized dreams.

He's already researched welding schools and has 3 in mind. I would appreciate any comments about the schools themselves, the industry, and the cities these schools are in, and any other useful advice.

For reference, we live in northeast/central GA in a pretty small town. Small enough to NOT have a Starbucks, lol. We've never lived anywhere else, so this is all my son knows.

His first choice is the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology in Troy, OH. My brother worked for KitchenAid for years when it was owned by Hobart, so I have spent a good bit of time in Troy and remember it as being a nice little town. However, I have to admit that I saw Star Wars in the movie theater in Troy , so that should tell you my frame of reference for Troy. The biggest negative would be that he would be 10 hours or so away from home and not know anyone there. The plus would be snow!!! You know how southerners are about snow.

His second choice is Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville, FL. My only observation about this is that Jacksonville used to be a pretty dangerous town, and may be still. In a former job, again years ago, the company I worked for owned restaurants across the south and the Jacksonville ones were always having issues. The plus would be he would be closer to home, and in a pinch, my daughter lives in Savannah.

His third choice is Georgia Trade School in Kennesaw, GA, which would be about an hour away from us. Kennesaw is a suburb of Atlanta these days. I'm completely neutral about this choice. He would not be able to live at home because Atlanta traffic is such that he would be nuts not to live close to school.

I'm fine with wherever he chooses as long as it's the right choice for him; my concern is that there is so much dishonesty with trade schools in general, it's hard to know what is legit.

Also, if there are other fabulous options, please let us know! I do know that he doesn't want to do shipbuilding/underwater welding.

Thanks for your input ~

 

[malibuconlee]

Although my youngest is my brightest child, he's also my worst student.

He is a junior in high school this year, and is dead set on going to welding school instead of college. No amount of reason has convinced him to consider doing both - he says he wants no more academic courses after high school. Because I've experienced my other two children going out on their own, I realize it's a waste of time/money/tears to try to make him do anything other than what he's got his heart set on doing. Unfortunately, my ex's (his dad's) family has been pestering him for years now that he has to go to college and make something of himself and not be like them. That strategy is not working and honestly it's putting my son under so much stress to be expected to fulfill their unrealized dreams.

He's already researched welding schools and has 3 in mind. I would appreciate any comments about the schools themselves, the industry, and the cities these schools are in, and any other useful advice.

For reference, we live in northeast/central GA in a pretty small town. Small enough to NOT have a Starbucks, lol. We've never lived anywhere else, so this is all my son knows.

His first choice is the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology in Troy, OH. My brother worked for KitchenAid for years when it was owned by Hobart, so I have spent a good bit of time in Troy and remember it as being a nice little town. However, I have to admit that I saw Star Wars in the movie theater in Troy , so that should tell you my frame of reference for Troy. The biggest negative would be that he would be 10 hours or so away from home and not know anyone there. The plus would be snow!!! You know how southerners are about snow.

His second choice is Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville, FL. My only observation about this is that Jacksonville used to be a pretty dangerous town, and may be still. In a former job, again years ago, the company I worked for owned restaurants across the south and the Jacksonville ones were always having issues. The plus would be he would be closer to home, and in a pinch, my daughter lives in Savannah.

His third choice is Georgia Trade School in Kennesaw, GA, which would be about an hour away from us. Kennesaw is a suburb of Atlanta these days. I'm completely neutral about this choice. He would not be able to live at home because Atlanta traffic is such that he would be nuts not to live close to school.

I'm fine with wherever he chooses as long as it's the right choice for him; my concern is that there is so much dishonesty with trade schools in general, it's hard to know what is legit.

Also, if there are other fabulous options, please let us know! I do know that he doesn't want to do shipbuilding/underwater welding.

Thanks for your input ~

With something so specific I suggest he look into some job shadowing. He can then speak with those he is working with and see where they got their training. Where is he thinking he will be working once done with training? Go to them and ask opinions on the better training programs.

 

[SC Minnie]

Do you have any techinical colleges near you? There are over 20 Technical colleges in GA that offer welding as a major.

 

[eliza61]

Good for your son knowing that he doesn't want to continue (right now) formal education.

So my oldest son is an asperger kid. school was absolutely horrific for him. no other way to put it. It was and continues to be a struggle. Of course we insisted (forced) him to go to college. even researched colleges that specialized in dealing with learning disabilities. Long story short it was an absolute, dismal failure.

I take some blame for that also. As a mom, we get so wrapped up in trying to force our kids into what society deems is successful. I come here and everyone has uber high achieving kids that are all on the honor system, all know exactly what they want to do at age 5 and all seem to be on scholarship and I think "what happen to my kid"

Anyhoo,
finally after wasting tens of thousands of dollars we finally accepted that my oldest is not suited for college.
He went the trade route and is flourishing. He is a 2nd year plumbers apprentice. We started out by contacting the plumbers unions. The hardest part was finding a plumber who would take him on as an apprentice. it's a 5 year program. he has to do 3 nights classroom work and at least 15 hours a week with the plumber.
He gets apprenticeship wages.
Now last winter the weather was so horrible his plumber rarely got any work so that discouraged him a bit. I used it as a tool to emphasis the value of saving money (which he also sucks at, lol) for a rainy day.

Now he also works at UPS as a p/t loader. He's actually thinking about getting his cdl licenses because UPS drivers make a decent salary. The only thing I hate is the job is 11 pm until 3 am.

so my first suggestion is to contact the local welders union in florida. Ask them about schools and many unions have formal apprenticeship training programs that are way less and you immediately get placed with a union worker.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Good for your son knowing that he doesn't want to continue (right now) formal education.

So my oldest son is an asperger kid.

Funny you should mention that. This son exhibits many Aspy qualities. So much so that I wanted to have him tested, but by the time I figured it out he was old enough to need to know what the testing was for and cooperate, and he was not interested. But, he totally claims the Asperger's. His dad's side of the family are having none of it, however, even though once I started reading up on it I realized that there are strong Aspy traits in his dad and grandpa as well.

Thank you for the info!

 

[texasroni75]

Our local community college has an amazing Welding program, in addition to its other technical/vocational tracks. Most are certificate programs that take less time than a degree would require. The campus in our town actually has several buildings dedicated solely to these programs.

You might want to check into the community college in the closest "big city" to your town. That way, you can see what the cost and time-frames are and compare to the private/independent for-profit schools you already researched.

 

[barkley]

op-have you checked to see what your son's school district may have to offer in the voc ed area?

my ds is also a junior this year, and he will be attending 3 periods per day at a campus that multiple districts use called 'the skills center. while ds is taking graphic arts, these types of places also offer 1-2 year programs in a variety of areas including welding technology. he goes there for part of the morning, then they transport him to his high school where he does his remaining coursework that leads to his diploma.

the suggestion someone else gave of looking to community colleges is also great-they can be a much lower cost alternative, and there are certification programs in things like welding that require little or no traditional college academic coursework.

and just to think about-if you think your son is aspie you might want to still consider getting him tested. depending on how your state works, a diagnosis could make him eligible for services once he turns 18 through disability services. this could get him educational and job counseling/mentoring including helping him figure out the best place for him to pursue his welding interests.

 

[Colleen27]

Our local community college has an amazing Welding program, in addition to its other technical/vocational tracks. Most are certificate programs that take less time than a degree would require. The campus in our town actually has several buildings dedicated solely to these programs.

You might want to check into the community college in the closest "big city" to your town. That way, you can see what the cost and time-frames are and compare to the private/independent for-profit schools you already researched.

I second this advice. My son - also my most naturally intelligent kid but my worst student, actually - wants to go into welding after high school and around here the best program for that is the certification track at the local community college. It is less expensive than for-profit tech schools, he has the option of taking it as part of a 2 year degree program which would give him a leg up should he ever decided to go to a 4 year university, and the program is very highly regarded with partnerships with many local businesses for on-the-job experience and job placement.

 

[Leehappy]

Although my youngest is my brightest child, he's also my worst student. He is a junior in high school this year, and is dead set on going to welding school instead of college. No amount of reason has convinced him to consider doing both - he says he wants no more academic courses after high school. Because I've experienced my other two children going out on their own, I realize it's a waste of time/money/tears to try to make him do anything other than what he's got his heart set on doing. Unfortunately, my ex's (his dad's) family has been pestering him for years now that he has to go to college and make something of himself and not be like them. That strategy is not working and honestly it's putting my son under so much stress to be expected to fulfill their unrealized dreams. He's already researched welding schools and has 3 in mind. I would appreciate any comments about the schools themselves, the industry, and the cities these schools are in, and any other useful advice. For reference, we live in northeast/central GA in a pretty small town. Small enough to NOT have a Starbucks, lol. We've never lived anywhere else, so this is all my son knows. His first choice is the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology in Troy, OH. My brother worked for KitchenAid for years when it was owned by Hobart, so I have spent a good bit of time in Troy and remember it as being a nice little town. However, I have to admit that I saw Star Wars in the movie theater in Troy , so that should tell you my frame of reference for Troy. The biggest negative would be that he would be 10 hours or so away from home and not know anyone there. The plus would be snow!!! You know how southerners are about snow. His second choice is Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville, FL. My only observation about this is that Jacksonville used to be a pretty dangerous town, and may be still. In a former job, again years ago, the company I worked for owned restaurants across the south and the Jacksonville ones were always having issues. The plus would be he would be closer to home, and in a pinch, my daughter lives in Savannah. His third choice is Georgia Trade School in Kennesaw, GA, which would be about an hour away from us. Kennesaw is a suburb of Atlanta these days. I'm completely neutral about this choice. He would not be able to live at home because Atlanta traffic is such that he would be nuts not to live close to school. I'm fine with wherever he chooses as long as it's the right choice for him; my concern is that there is so much dishonesty with trade schools in general, it's hard to know what is legit. Also, if there are other fabulous options, please let us know! I do know that he doesn't want to do shipbuilding/underwater welding. Thanks for your input ~

My brother went to Hobart. It's an excellent school. He is now with the Boiler Makers union. He travels the country and works on power plants. He makes upwards of $75 per hour and gets a per diem for food and lodging. Each job ranges from a few weeks to a few years. Also as you complete different tests with contractors you get on the "A" lists for jobs which he is on.

 

[needtoplan]

A man in my church (mid-30s) began welding in high school. He has had his own business for the past 8 years or so. He has to travel a bit, but he stays busy with steady work. I consider him extremely successful. He has done work for the military as well as multi-million dollar homes in Raleigh NC and Charlotte NC. As a side note, I find him brilliant, yet not your typical bookish brilliant.
I call him MacGyver - he could really fix anything - would much rather have him around than a professional that only knows how to type on a computer. I am not certain about his training, but your son can most certainly be very successful as a welder.

 

[eatatmidnight]

There have been welders in my family. I also have a son in a great hs welding program. He is dual enrolled in our school district as well as this vocational school.

If your son would like to stay near your hometown, he should seek out a local union. He will be well trained, well paid and well employed. If he doesn't mind relocating or traveling, then one of the schools he has looked into would give him more options. My son's instructor feels like Tulsa Welding Institute, in Tulsa is the best in the Midwest. Some of his best former students are traveling the world and are in high demand after completing the program there.

I told him to ask his instructor about Hobart. If he remembers, I'll let you know.

FWIW, I hope you don't feel that your son is "settling" for welding. Good welders are called just like any other occupation. My son has always wanted to do something "hands on". Every one of my friends have said "If there is some kind of natural disaster, I hope I'm with him. He can do anything."

 

[pls5286]

By saying you are in northeast/central GA, are you closer to Athens or the Millegeville/Macon area? There is a good welding program at Central GA Tech in Eatonton.

I too live in a small town in GA. Does your high school by chance have a metal fabrication class? Ours started one this year and my son is in it and was able to land a part time job at one of our local welding companies. PM me if you want more details.

 

[tvguy]

If your son would like to stay near your hometown, he should seek out a local union. He will be well trained, well paid and well employed. If he doesn't mind relocating or traveling, then one of the schools he has looked into would give him more options.

This. Went to a job fair last year, not uncommon for a union welder to make $125,000 a year around here.

 

[pjlla]

If he is determined to go to trade school, have him google "Mike Rowe Works". Mike Rowe is the host of Dirty Jobs and his foundation offers HUGE scholarship opportunities for students who want to learn TRADES (versus traditional college). The requirements aren't too hard (from what I've seen) and the scholarships are generous. The 2014 cycle is already done, but it wouldn't be too late for him to get ready to apply next year!

Best of luck to him...............P

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Thank you everyone for your replies and suggestions, I really appreciate it!

With something so specific I suggest he look into some job shadowing. He can then speak with those he is working with and see where they got their training. Where is he thinking he will be working once done with training? Go to them and ask opinions on the better training programs.

We know someone with a welding shop, and he wants to get a part time job there. *crossing fingers!*

Good for your son knowing that he doesn't want to continue (right now) formal education.

So my oldest son is an asperger kid. school was absolutely horrific for him. no other way to put it. It was and continues to be a struggle. Of course we insisted (forced) him to go to college. even researched colleges that specialized in dealing with learning disabilities. Long story short it was an absolute, dismal failure.

I take some blame for that also. As a mom, we get so wrapped up in trying to force our kids into what society deems is successful. I come here and everyone has uber high achieving kids that are all on the honor system, all know exactly what they want to do at age 5 and all seem to be on scholarship and I think "what happen to my kid"

Anyhoo,
finally after wasting tens of thousands of dollars we finally accepted that my oldest is not suited for college.
He went the trade route and is flourishing. He is a 2nd year plumbers apprentice. We started out by contacting the plumbers unions. The hardest part was finding a plumber who would take him on as an apprentice. it's a 5 year program. he has to do 3 nights classroom work and at least 15 hours a week with the plumber.
He gets apprenticeship wages.
Now last winter the weather was so horrible his plumber rarely got any work so that discouraged him a bit. I used it as a tool to emphasis the value of saving money (which he also sucks at, lol) for a rainy day.

Now he also works at UPS as a p/t loader. He's actually thinking about getting his cdl licenses because UPS drivers make a decent salary. The only thing I hate is the job is 11 pm until 3 am.

so my first suggestion is to contact the local welders union in florida. Ask them about schools and many unions have formal apprenticeship training programs that are way less and you immediately get placed with a union worker.

I will need to look up GA unions, because in the South especially I didn't think there were many. Thanks!

Our local community college has an amazing Welding program, in addition to its other technical/vocational tracks. Most are certificate programs that take less time than a degree would require. The campus in our town actually has several buildings dedicated solely to these programs.

You might want to check into the community college in the closest "big city" to your town. That way, you can see what the cost and time-frames are and compare to the private/independent for-profit schools you already researched.

I have asked him to look up what programs are offered at the tech school closest to us (and you better believe I will too, lol). He seems really gung-ho about the private ones, but I feel he's too young to understand that more money doesn't necessarily equal the best outcome.

op-have you checked to see what your son's school district may have to offer in the voc ed area?

and just to think about-if you think your son is aspie you might want to still consider getting him tested. depending on how your state works, a diagnosis could make him eligible for services once he turns 18 through disability services. this could get him educational and job counseling/mentoring including helping him figure out the best place for him to pursue his welding interests.

Our school district consists of one high school for the whole county, and their options for trades are woefully inadequate even compared to when my husband and I were students there.

I know what you're talking about regarding disability services - my older son had that for ADD while he was in college. He was basically paid to go to college because of his disability. I may be oversimplifying it or stating it wrong, because he took care of it himself. But yes, I will definitely look into that (my younger son has ADD as well) - thanks for reminding me!

I second this advice. My son - also my most naturally intelligent kid but my worst student, actually - wants to go into welding after high school and around here the best program for that is the certification track at the local community college. It is less expensive than for-profit tech schools, he has the option of taking it as part of a 2 year degree program which would give him a leg up should he ever decided to go to a 4 year university, and the program is very highly regarded with partnerships with many local businesses for on-the-job experience and job placement.

As of yesterday when I read this, I'm definitely investigating the local tech school.

My brother went to Hobart. It's an excellent school. He is now with the Boiler Makers union. He travels the country and works on power plants. He makes upwards of $75 per hour and gets a per diem for food and lodging. Each job ranges from a few weeks to a few years. Also as you complete different tests with contractors you get on the "A" lists for jobs which he is on.

That is awesome! Thanks so much for the input. Did your brother like Troy, and how long was he there?

A man in my church (mid-30s) began welding in high school. He has had his own business for the past 8 years or so. He has to travel a bit, but he stays busy with steady work. I consider him extremely successful. He has done work for the military as well as multi-million dollar homes in Raleigh NC and Charlotte NC. As a side note, I find him brilliant, yet not your typical bookish brilliant.
I call him MacGyver - he could really fix anything - would much rather have him around than a professional that only knows how to type on a computer. I am not certain about his training, but your son can most certainly be very successful as a welder.

Thanks for your reply. I completely agree with you - someone with practical knowledge is much more valuable in a pinch than most executives!

There have been welders in my family. I also have a son in a great hs welding program. He is dual enrolled in our school district as well as this vocational school.

If your son would like to stay near your hometown, he should seek out a local union. He will be well trained, well paid and well employed. If he doesn't mind relocating or traveling, then one of the schools he has looked into would give him more options. My son's instructor feels like Tulsa Welding Institute, in Tulsa is the best in the Midwest. Some of his best former students are traveling the world and are in high demand after completing the program there.

I told him to ask his instructor about Hobart. If he remembers, I'll let you know.

FWIW, I hope you don't feel that your son is "settling" for welding. Good welders are called just like any other occupation. My son has always wanted to do something "hands on". Every one of my friends have said "If there is some kind of natural disaster, I hope I'm with him. He can do anything."

Thank you, I look forward to hearing what you find out.

My husband and I don't feel that he would be "settling" if he chooses a career in welding. However, my husband has done physical work his whole life and at 52, his body is basically worn out. He hurts all the time. If he could go back and tell his 18 year old self to stay in school and not have to use his body to make a living, he most definitely would. That's our only concern. My ex-husband's family, on the other hand, is horrified at the thought even though my ex-husband does manual labor and his father groveled to executives his entire white-collar career. They have never for a second wanted my son to be himself, whatever that might be - my former MIL, who didn't finish high school, even belittles him about not dressing preppy.

By saying you are in northeast/central GA, are you closer to Athens or the Millegeville/Macon area? There is a good welding program at Central GA Tech in Eatonton.

I too live in a small town in GA. Does your high school by chance have a metal fabrication class? Ours started one this year and my son is in it and was able to land a part time job at one of our local welding companies. PM me if you want more details.

Athens and Eatonton is pretty equidistant for us - we live in Madison. My son is in metal fabrication class, such as it is - it's folded into the agriculture curriculum here. He has 2 female ag teachers that are 2-3 years out of college, and cute as buttons. This is not lost on my son. He's taken every ag class that is offered.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

If he is determined to go to trade school, have him google "Mike Rowe Works". Mike Rowe is the host of Dirty Jobs and his foundation offers HUGE scholarship opportunities for students who want to learn TRADES (versus traditional college). The requirements aren't too hard (from what I've seen) and the scholarships are generous. The 2014 cycle is already done, but it wouldn't be too late for him to get ready to apply next year!

Best of luck to him...............P

OOOH thank you so much for the info! My son has always loved Mike Rowe, and we used to watch Dirty Jobs regularly. When he was a baby I would tape Yankee Workshop - Norm Abrams was always so soothing.

My husband got a (shop) dust collector video for some reason, and I can't tell you how many times I watched THAT.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

This. Went to a job fair last year, not uncommon for a union welder to make $125,000 a year around here.

Exactly! I look forward to being able to say "I told you so!" to my former inlaws.

 

[pls5286]

Athens and Eatonton is pretty equidistant for us - we live in Madison. My son is in metal fabrication class, such as it is - it's folded into the agriculture curriculum here. He has 2 female ag teachers that are 2-3 years out of college, and cute as buttons. This is not lost on my son. He's taken every ag class that is offered.

Its a small world. Me too. Check your pm folder.

 

[tinkgirl1984]

I agree with looking into apprenticeships. My dad is a boilermaker. His company is actually headquartered in GA (Norcross). I know for a fact they do formal apprenticeships. I know my dad never went through a formal trade school type program. I don't think there are many people he works with that did either. Possibly not any. I agree with the previous poster who said good for him for knowing now that college isn't for him. I went to college and have a Bachelor's in nursing, and while I love my job, I'll be paying student loans for at least 10 more years, and I will NEVER even come close to making what my dad does.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Its a small world. Me too. Check your pm folder.

Get out!!! I just PM'd you!

To the rest of the DIS, the two of us just discovered that we both live in the same town of less than 4,000 people.