How to Select the Right Electrician Tech School near Blount West Virginia
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Blount WV. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are a number of factors to consider. For instance, some potential students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have located a few that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional options that are offered.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are three general approaches to obtain electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Blount WV. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief descriptions of the three most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by West Virginia vocational and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are offered by West Virginia junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some West Virginia institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be carried out prior to licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Blount WV can undertake a vast array of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about four to five years of prior experience is required in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves 3 levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you pick not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Programs Online
An alternative that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, internet learning might be a more accommodating alternative for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Driving costs from Blount WV are also lessened and some of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Blount WV area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Blount WV program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive an excellent education, it may assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It may also indicate that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Blount WV graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Blount WV area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Blount WV electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Blount home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with some of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Blount WV, verify that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Electrician Online Courses Blount West Virginia
Picking the right electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Online Courses and wanting more information on the topic Technical Schools For Electricians. But as we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Blount WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
Blount, West Virginia
Blount is an unincorporated community in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. Blount is 11 miles (18 km) east-southeast of Charleston. Blount had a post office, founded by Harry and Stella Blount which opened on October 30, 1946, and closed on October 24, 2009.[3]
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