Welding Tips and Tricks

The tech school I am doing a little on now in high school s going through some massive changes this year and in the years to come. The program is currently a one year curriculum but next year they intend to add an associate degree option that includes pipe welding, weld inspection, and some awesome non-destructive testing that i can only hope to understand some day. My question is it worth to do the extra gen eds to get an associate degree or just take some of the additional classes? Is there a big money difference between a welder with an associates degree and just a regular 1 year certificate? The program currently is a hybrid with all the book work online and the lab hours are open for whenever you have time to come in and weld which will allow me to work as much as I want and to learn all of this new stuff but j don't know about time for gen eds which are a specific time. If the associates degree adds a lot to my resume I will probably go all the way then.

Nick
A degree which means higher learning, is always a better thing, follow the logic of this statement.

It probably won't get you higher pay to start. But the knowledge you gain most likely will get you ahead of other candidates for the same job, and probably higher pay sooner than a person without the training or just plane more.

^^^What Josh says. If a hiring manager had a choice between a candidate with a 1-year cert and a candidate with an associate's degree that included pipe welding, weld inspection, and NDT, and assuming they are equal on the weld test, who would they hire?

The extra training says a lot about you, particularly if you can get the education while you're working. It says, "Here's a go-getter that worked and went to school simultaneously". You don't mention what the other class requirements are, but those say "Here's a guy that's more than just another MIG trigger, he applied brain cells to business classes too." Safe to say any welding organization could benefit from someone with training in weld inspection and NDT. This kind of differentiation can mean a lot in the long run.

Are the gen ed classes online too?

Some gen eds are online but I don't know which classes they are since they don't have it all planned yet.

Pacients will be the key! As with many situations in life you must wait for the facts to become evident. And then if necessary jump through any hoop, or even slight opening with lightning speed to get what you want.