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Welding is an absolutely popular and rewarding career.
There are lots of people in the USA who want to start their training as a welder.
If you are looking for some welding schools in Rhode Island, this article is for you.
We’ve prepared the list of welding schools in the state as well as some useful tips for future welders.
Article Table of Contents
How to Become a Welder in Rhode Island
In case, you are thinking about becoming a welder in Rhode Island, you need to learn some important aspects.
There are some crucial steps you need to take to achieve your goal:
- Learn some basics about the welding process. In order to understand the job better, watch some videos and read articles about welding. Also, if you have some friends and relatives working in the sphere, it will be a good idea to ask some questions.
- Reveal and evaluate your personal strengths. To work as a welder, you need to be strong and healthy. Also, there are some personal characteristics that are absolutely important. You should have excellent spatial orientation skills and manual dexterity. Moreover, you should be able to work independently and even have some artistic skills. If you don’t have at least most part of these features than welding can be not the best career for you. Nevertheless, if you have a determination then it can be not an issue.
- Choose the best training program. As soon as you’ve made a decision to become a welder, you need to look for the best program that suits your preferences. In this article, you can get info about the best welding certification schools in the state.
- Get your certification. To become a welder, you need not only to complete your training but as well pass the test in order to get your certification. Consider the fact that it should be taken at an accredited welding testing facility.
- Maintain your certification. After getting your certification, you should maintain it constantly. In order to do it, you need to fill out certain paperwork twice a year.
Top 3 Welding Certification Schools in Rhode Island
Rhode Island has 3 welding certification schools in total.
It can be not so many but still, you have options to choose from.
Just carefully learn about all the available options and make the final choice that suits your needs most.
Fab Tek Technology
Fab Tek Technology is in the list of the best welding certification schools in Rhode Island.
It is located in Hope Valley.
There are three SENSE levels from the American Welding Association in total.
They are Entry Level, Advanced Welder, and Expert Level.
Fab Tek Technology provides Entry and Advanced level training programs.
Nationwide Diesel Technology
Nationwide Diesel Technology is also in the list of the best welding certification schools in Rhode Island.
It offers a welding training program that provides knowledge of all the necessary methods and basics.
If you want to get more info about the program, you need to visit the AWS Welding School Locator page for this school.
New England Institute of Technology
The New England Institute of Technology provides about 50 various educational programs and welding is among the list.
There are both Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees.
Completing its welding program you’ll be able to apply for a variety of welding jobs such as Aluminum Welder or Sub Arc Operator.
Visit the Welding Program Overview page to get more info about the educational program.
Also, there are such programs as Mechanical Engineering, Heating & Plumbing Technology, and Advanced Manufacturing Technology.
The List of the Top 3 Welding Schools in Rhode Island
Below, you can find the list of the best welding schools in Rhode Island including their contact info.
| School | Location | Contact Information | Phone Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fab Tek Technology | 18 Mechanic St, Hope Valley, RI 02832 United States | Scott Bruce | (401) 212-6897 |
| Nationwide Diesel Technology | 125 Washington Highway, Smithfield, RI 02917 United States | Peter A Sawyer | (541) 383-7500 |
| New England Institute Of Technology | 1 New England Tech BLVD East Greenwich, RI 02818 United States | Henry Young | (401) 739-5000 |
Keep in mind that the information in the table may change so we recommend you to doublecheck it.
Popular Degree Programs
Average Welder’s Salary in Rhode Island
Becoming a welder in Rhode Island, you can get a rather high salary.
Here you can find some data about welder’s salary in Rhode Island and its comparison with national rates.
A median salary of a welder in Rhode Island is about $42 410 per year or $20.39 per hour.
A median average salary throughout the country is of $39,390 annually which is $18.94 per hour.
Speaking of the top 10% of welders, in Rhode Island they earn about $58 780 per year.
Nationally they earn about $62 100 annually.
Welding in Rhode Island: Clue Facts
Before making the final decision, you need to learn some important info about welding.
In fact, welding is a quite complicated career which requires excellent knowledge and a bunch of various skills.
Of course, you’ll gain all of it during your training but still, we offer you to learn some facts to understand this profession better.
Welder’s Duties and Roles
There are lots of responsibilities should perform.
However, there some duties that are especially important:
- Studying and understanding specific sketches, blueprints, and instructions. Also, a welder should be able to follow all these instructions properly.
- Raw structure/material analysis in order to determine appropriate methods required for an excellent result. There are about 100 welding methods such as gas tungsten arc welding, shielded metal arc welding, or gas metal arc welding.
- Usage of appropriate tools depending on the chosen method.
- Maintaining equipment and tools so it meets all the requirements. There is a variety of different types of tools including electric and manual equipment. Sometimes, welders should be able to use numerous combination of tools to perform their job properly.
Types of Welding Methods
In fact, there are more than 100 welding methods.
Nevertheless, there are only 6 the most popular and you’ll learn these basic methods first.
They include:
- Gas Metal Arc Welding;
- Shielded Metal Arc Welding;
- Gas or Oxy-Acetylene Welding;
- Flux-Cored Welding;
- Plasma Arc Welding;
- Tungsten Inert Gas Welding.
Conclusion
Welding is an absolutely rewarding and meaningful career.
If you’ve decided to become a welder, it’s absolutely a good choice.
You just need to decide on a welding school where you can get your training.
We hope, this article will help you to make your mind and take the right decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hot does a welder get?
The temperature of a heated welding arc can be between 6,500°F and 10,000°F.
But a plasma arc can reach temperatures as high as 50,000°F.
Because of the intense heat and ultraviolet radiation, it is imperative that welders wear safety glasses and a welding helmet.
What angle should you weld at?
You need to hold your welder in a horizontal (or almost horizontal) position, with an angle of 30 to 60 degrees being ideal, depending on the joint’s size and type.
Your aim is to make sure the filler metal does not sag or rollover on the weld joint’s bottom side.
Who invented the MIG welder?
The Battelle Memorial Institute invented the first version of MIG welding, or gas metal arc welding, in 1948.
Back then, they used a thinner wire as an electrode.
Thanks to the electrode’s thinness back in the day, they were able to use MIG welding on thinner materials, as welders do today with MIG.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Certified Welder
Welding Schools by City
Welding Schools by State