Hello John, I got your message and this is what I would like you to consider. Any time you look at training you need to research it and see if it applies to what you are trying to accomplish. It sounds as though you have already done this to some extent. I don't know your exact geographical area so I really don't know what all of the training options are that you have to choose from. Private, reputable, training institutions can provide you with very intense and to the point training and in many cases are well worth the monies they charge, they are however, for profit entities and the costs generally reflect this. Skills centers, community college welding programs, vocational/technical colleges or training facilities can be a bit less pricey and in most instances will also provide you with ample training and end-user abilities. Here again I would try to make contact with whichever institution or facility you are interested in and ask them some questions. These questions would cover things such as: where do your graduates go to work?, how long has the program been around?, what types of training do you have available? You mentioned blueprint reading, metallurgy, fabrication, and other items, you would want to enquire about the availability of these subjects too. Once you have some answers to these questions you might want to inquire with employers that might have been mentioned to see if they have been satisfied with the students that have come from the particular training facility. Also, if possible, you might want to strike up some conversation with students that are currently enrolled in the program and see about their level of satisfaction with the program or classes. Time can sometimes be an issue for training opportunities, determine if you can stretch the training out and save some money possibly due to utilizing state or community schools or if time is critical can you justify the possible additional expense of a more intense private training regimen. Ultimately you'll have to make that decision. Hope this is some of what you were asking about. Best regards, aevald