In Your Opinion: Best Welding Schools?

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Hey y'all, first thread starting here.I was doing some thinking recently, wondering how the welding school I attended stacks up nationally to some of the big names. The four big ones that come to mind are:Lincoln Welding SchoolHobart Institute of WeldingTulsa Welding SchoolGeorgia Trade SchoolI'm sure there are others, there's no way I know them all. But I contacted each of the schools listed above, and frankly I was disappointed by their track records regarding the certification of their students. Just so you know where I'm coming from, the welding school I attended is MUCH smaller than any of those, and certainly not a nationally recognized name, but they had (and still have) a 100% success rate on both x-ray quality ASME pipe weld certifications and x-ray quality AWS structural weld certifications by their students. I've not found any school that can match this; in fact, all four of the schools named above perform bend test certifications. Truly, I was surprised.So, I'm posing the question to you all. What training programs do you believe are the best in the country? This is just for my own edification, of course.
Reply:hillbilly;  not taking anything away from the schools you listed but none of the above.  i feel the best training comes from the union's apprenticeship programs like the pipe trades,ironworkers and operating engineers. they are precisely tailored to the industry they are affiliated with. now here comes the best part; they are free.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:Yes, I'm quite certain that the union apprenticeships are top notch. I was asking about schools though, for those of us who aren't interested in selling our soul for a paycheck.Not to mention, welding apprenticeships offer a whole host of issues on their own that schools don't.
Reply:I went to hobart and thought it was great for a school. Of course it didnt tech you everything a lot of stuff needs to be learned in the field but they do x ray certain things there. And if your not very good you didnt pass. It was kinda like you learned as much as you wanted too imhoSent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Reply:Originally Posted by Hillbilly WelderYes, I'm quite certain that the union apprenticeships are top notch. I was asking about schools though, for those of us who aren't interested in selling our soul for a paycheck.Not to mention, welding apprenticeships offer a whole host of issues on their own that schools don't.
Reply:CHECK OUT OHIO TECHNICAL COLLEGE WELDING SCHOOL... They do AWS/ASME plate & pipe certs  at the school!Century AC/DC 250 Amp & Midstates 300 Amp Industrial AC stick welders, Century Flux core 80 amp. wire feed welder  Harris Oxy-Acet. cutting & welding outfit:SEE MY INFORMATIVE VIDEOS AT http://www.youtube.com/user/alpho52
Reply:Every welding school does AWS plate and ASME pipe certs.  Originally Posted by AlphonseCHECK OUT OHIO TECHNICAL COLLEGE WELDING SCHOOL... They do AWS/ASME plate & pipe certs  at the school!
Reply:Manipulation by the higher ups on the workers. Non-compete agreements. Refusing to work with, sabotaging, threatening, and sometimes outright violence perpetrated by union members on their non-union counterparts. Supporting politicians that in turn help line their own pockets (talk about a conflict of interest.) I've worked with union members a long time, and have friends and family who are current and former union members. I've heard, and seen, all the horror stories. I don't hardly recall a construction job I was ever on where it wasn't a union sparky on sight, and I'll tell you what, they were the whiniest, most demanding little pricks I've ever had the displeasure of working with. In fact, a good friend of mine was in the accounting department of our local IBEW for slightly more than a decade, and the things she witnessed are enough to make my blood boil. I could go on.Yes, being a journeyman will make you more money than a sheet of paper. There's no doubt. But you don't have to join a union to achieve journeyman status. I was bored with college, so I enrolled in a welding school. Ten months, and I emerged with 6 x-ray welding certifications (3 structural, 3 pipe), a job where I was actually welding all day, not just sweeping floors, and making more than a welder's apprentice was at the time, and zero debt. And I got there in less than a year, instead of four.And no, incurring debt for the sake of an education isn't "selling your soul"; some may argue that it's fiscally irresponsible, but it in no way compares to the shady tactics and outright manipulation that the unions like to use to get their way. And most of their members just turn a blind eye, because they like that cash cow. THAT is selling your soul.Last edited by Hillbilly Welder; 01-20-2016 at 11:44 AM.
Reply:Joe, aren't the unions hard to get into? My brother was IBEW in Arizona for like 10 years (in good standing). When he moved back here, the IBEW wouldn't take him. Too full they said.Miller Multimatic 255
Reply:Originally Posted by Louie1961Joe, aren't the unions hard to get into? My brother was IBEW in Arizona for like 10 years (in good standing). When he moved back here, the IBEW wouldn't take him. Too full they said.
Reply:I took the week long tig class at Lincoln. I did blog posts after each of the first three days. I talked about the facilities a bit and might give you a decent impression of what I thought of the place. It was a great week and I still keep in touch with some of the instructors five years later.Day 1 http://cycling.zanconato.com/2011/04...welding-class/Day 2 http://cycling.zanconato.com/2011/04...welding-class/Day 3 http://cycling.zanconato.com/2011/04...welding-class/Mike ZanconatoZanconato Custom Cycles @mzank on Instagram
Reply:Originally Posted by donniekakI don't understand how you would be selling your soul.Instead of paying for school I became an apprentice in the ibew. Instead of paying for an education, I got paid for it. Being a journeyman in any trade will get you more work than any sheet of paper from a school. No matter the trade, certified experienced workers are always chosen over new grads. A bonus feature is if you decide the trade you picked isn't for you, you don't owe tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. That is selling your soul.
Reply:Asked, and answered. Originally Posted by docwelderi was wondering the same thing but why bother?
Reply:Originally Posted by Louie1961Joe, aren't the unions hard to get into? My brother was IBEW in Arizona for like 10 years (in good standing). When he moved back here, the IBEW wouldn't take him. Too full they said.
Reply:Originally Posted by AlphonseCHECK OUT OHIO TECHNICAL COLLEGE WELDING SCHOOL... They do AWS/ASME plate & pipe certs  at the school!