There are 3 top welding schools for certification in Rhode Island: Fab Tek Technology, Nationwide Diesel Technology, and the New England Institute of Technology. Each school is accredited by the American Welding Society and offers the courses necessary for obtaining your welding certification.
Table of Contents
- How to Become a Welder in Rhode Island
- The 3 Top Welding Schools for Certification in Rhode Island
- Contact Information for the Best Welding Schools in Rhode Island
- Welding Jobs in RI Pay Well
- Basic Information for Welding Beginners
- More Welding Schools Near Rhode Island
How to Become a Welder in Rhode Island
Becoming a welder in Rhode Island takes a lot of work, but it’s an incredibly rewarding experience. The structures you build will be around for years to come. But how do you go about making this happen?
The following is a breakdown of the basic steps to take in order to be a welder in Rhode Island:
- Make Sure You Know Welding Basics:Â First, read up on welding. Although you’ll learn a lot at school, it’s wise to know what you’re getting into. Since the classes are often intense, it’s helpful to have a strong foundation of information about the basics.
- Consider Your Personal Strengths: Welding is an amazing profession. However, it isn’t for everybody. Take an honest look at your personal strengths to see if you have what it takes. Welders need to have good physical strength/stamina, solid spatial orientation skills, manual dexterity and be self-motivated.
- Enroll In One of the Best Welding Schools in Rhode Island: So you’ve decided that you’re 100% ready to delve into welding. Now it’s time to enroll in one of the top 3 welding schools for certification in Rhode Island. Keep reading for detailed information about each school. (Keep in mind that there are great trade schools with welding programs in bordering states.)
- Obtain Your Welding Certification:Â Welding school prepares you to pass the welding certification test. This is that pivotal moment when you cross over from being a welding student to being a bona fide welder.
- Maintain Your Welding Certification:Â Once you’ve established yourself as a welder, it’s important to renew your certification every six months. All this means is that you’ll need to be on top of filling out the necessary forms every six months.
The 3 Top Welding Schools for Certification in Rhode Island
As mentioned above, there are 3 welding schools in Rhode Island. They are Fab Tek Technology, Nationwide Diesel Technology, and the New England Institute of Technology.
Fab Tek Technology
The first top welding school for certification in Rhode Island is called Fab Tek Technology. Fab Tek Technology is located in Hope Valley, Rhode Island.
The three SENSE levels from the American Welding Association are Entry Level, Advanced Welder, and Expert Level. Fab Tek offers the Entry and Advanced levels.
Nationwide Diesel Technology
Next on the list of the top welding schools for certification in Rhode Island is Nationwide Diesel Technology. It’s located in Smithfield and teaches all the basic welding methods. For more information, visit the AWS Welding School Locator page for this school. Additionally, use the contact information from the table below to contact the school directly.
New England Institute of Technology
Now, the New England Institute of Technology is more than just a welding school. In fact, it offers over 50 different majors. These include both Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees. The welding program prepares you to choose from a variety of welding careers, such as being an Aluminum Welder or Sub Arc Operator. (These are just a few examples – visit the Welding Program Overview page for more details.)
In addition to welding, New England Institute of Technology offers similar programs, like Mechanical Engineering, Heating & Plumbing Technology, and Advanced Manufacturing Technology.
Contact the 3 Top Welding Schools for Certification in Rhode Island
If you’re interested in enrolling in one of the aforementioned schools, consult the table below to for contact information.
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It’s important to note that the information within the training programs listed above continually changes. Therefore, we encourage you to contact the schools directly for the most up-to-date information.Â
 Welding Jobs in RI Pay Well
Once you’ve completed the necessary welding training in Rhode Island, you can expect to be well compensated at your subsequent welding job. As we’ve done in all of our Welding Schools in the United States articles, we’ll compare the earnings of welders in Rhode Island to the national statistics.
In Rhode Island, welders earn a median salary of $42,410. (Or $20.39 per hour.) This is higher than the national median average salary of $39,390. (Or $18.94 per hour.)
Another comparison is between the top 10% of median pay in Rhode Island vs the top 10% of median pay in the United States as a whole, which is $62,100. Welders making salaries in the top 10% in Rhode Island make slightly less, at about $58,780 per year.
Basic Welding Information for Beginners
As mentioned before, it’s important to have a good knowledge base about welding. This includes areas like main welding responsibilities and most popular welding methods.
Welders Responsibilities
- First and foremost, certified welders study and follow specific blueprints or sketches to carry out projects to precise specifications.
- A second important responsibility is inspecting the raw structure/material to determine the proper welding method and dimensions. (Keep in mind that there are more than 100 methods of welding!)Â Depending on the material and conditions, the proper welding methods may include gas tungsten arc welding, shielded metal arc welding, or gas metal arc welding.
- The third big responsibility of welders is to determine the proper welding equipment and machinery required to execute the plan. Chipping and cleaning completed welds are both good examples of this.
- Finally, a crucial part of the job is to maintain the welding equipment and machinery required to meet the project requirements. For example, this could be tools that are electric, manual, or even a combination of the two, such as welders and grinders.
The Most Popular Welding Methods
Although we can’t cover the 100+ different types of welding, we’ll quickly touch on the most popular welding methods. Most welding schools offer advanced welding training classes that you can take after getting your initial certification.
The following video, “Types of Welding,” takes only minutes to watch and gives a good basic overview.
Top Welding Schools for Certification Near Rhode Island
In addition to the 3 great trade schools for welding in Rhode Island, there are plenty more options in the states bordering Rhode Island. Click the following links for information about the best welding schools in each of the following states:
Enter your zip code to find The Top Welding Schools for Certification in Rhode Island near you!
Conclusion
Becoming a welder gives you the opportunity to do meaningful work and be well compensated. The job market is great (and only going to get better), and there are great welding programs in Rhode Island and bordering states. So what are you waiting for? We encourage you to reach out to admissions at your school of choice today!