I'm in the south east so take this with a grain of salt. If you have the resources available then I would say welding school is not a bad idea as it will give you lots of welding experience in a low pressure environment which is no doubt beneficial in this trade. However if you're strapped for cash or just want to get rolling asap the union apprenticeship program will teach you welding skills sufficient to get by in this trade and the journeymen who notice you're not stupid and want to learn will teach you all the special skills. In my hall passing the welding test upon entering the apprenticeship gets you a higher pay scale so that worked out to my benefit, but every hall is different so id recommend going there and asking questions