New Castle School of Trades 4117 Pulaski Road, New Castle, PA 16101

"From the very first phone call this establishment has been nothing but professional and outstanding. They helped me every step of the way. From bringing me in to discuss my interests to then letting me shadow the trades of my choice for a few hours to really get a feel for the trade. They helped with my application and through the student aid application. The financial department also led me to a few places that helped me get scholarships. The instructors in the Combination Welding department are fantastic. They are always eager to teach everything they know to lead you to an easier path in the field. They are never too busy to stop and give you a demonstration on anything you may be having trouble on. Questions on homework or an upcoming test, they are more than happy to help you work through it until you understand it. Calling this school was the best decision I've made and I feel that way every single week as I have progressed through the program. I highly recommend this school to any age individual looking to get into the trades."

"Very knowledgeable instructors they know everything that you will need in the field. They focus on trying to simulate how it will be once you get out into the field as well. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who even has the slightest interesting in being a welder. Instructors help in any way they can so you can succeed in welding. Best decision I have made so far."

"Hands down the biggest waste of time. Take a poll from recent classes that took heavy equipment. They'll tell you that you get little seat time, you learn little, you do little and there are only a few machines. You'll spend more time placing golf balls into egg cartons with the excavator than anything else. Depending on what's running there's typically 5-7 machines for a class of 20+. You're outside from 8am to 11:45. Then it's classroom for the rest of the day. The CDL portion is absolutely the worst. You'll sign for items you won't get, movies you won't watch and training you'll never see. Do you like being screamed at? Belittled? Spoke down to? Those are your CDL instructors. For a class of 20 students there are 2 instructors for all of that heavy equipment. They rely on third quarter students to teach first quarter students, so don't plan to learn anything in third quarter. Just babysitting. Attendance policy will be preached as though it exists. It is only enforced on those they choose to enforce it on. You'll be told that you'll be given a Chromebook, no you won't. You'll be told that yiull be an operator engineer. No. You won't. You'll gain more experience one month on a job then you will at this school. You'll pay out the nose for this place and simply watch your money burn. If they spent half the money on students that they spend on advertising you'd get a fantastic education. You'll learn for a single day how to drive an old beat tractor while brushing a single strip in a field. You'll mow for approximately 10 minutes. You'll pick up cones with an excavator and stack them. You'll pick Rick up and sit it directly back down. You'll spend your time wondering ... What is the point of this entire program. Absolutely anyone can get into this school and absolutely everyone gets pushed through. This is $18.5K .... Spend your money elsewhere."

"This school is amazing, I have never touched a welding machine in my life, and now I can actually lay some pretty decent welds, my instructors are awesome and have walked us through everything. And the best thing is that it's not a lot of classroom stuff, you are in the lab working and learning. And the recruiters were very nice and made the process actually very easy and not frustrating. I got everything done and got my start date in only a few hours. I would highly recommend if anyone is thinking about going here, to go. It'll be money well spent on your future."

"Got my degree in motorcycle technology years ago, went on to automotive technology degree program to build on my knowledge base. The education combined with my work experience got me a great job. Knowledgeable instructors, great staff, seems like everybody here really cares. Plus they equip you with a decent tool set when you graduate. Much better than the other options in the area, some requiring thousands of dollars in tools to be purchased. Well worth my time and the money I put into it."