How to Select the Right Electrician Training School near Addison Alabama
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Addison AL. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are a number of factors to consider. For instance, many students will start by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have located a few that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are significant, they are not the sole factors that need to be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when picking an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are available.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options
There are several ways to get electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Addison AL. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short explanations of the three most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Alabama vocational and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take two years to finish and are provided by Alabama community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Alabama institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Addison AL can carry out a multitude of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about four to five years of prior experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be earned in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails 3 levels of competency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes
An alternative that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more convenient choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Travelling expenses from Addison AL are also minimized and some of the study materials may be accessed online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Addison AL area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other variables that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Addison AL program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It may also signify that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, 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 affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Addison AL graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Addison AL area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Addison AL electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Addison residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Addison AL, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.
Electrical Technician Courses Online Addison Alabama
Picking the right electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Technician Courses Online and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Technician Training. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical training program that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Addison AL.
More Electric Locations in Alabama
Addison, Alabama
As of the 2010 Census Addison had a population of 757. The population was 99.1% white, 0.1% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.7% from two or more races and 0.4% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[10]
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 723 people, 315 households, and 219 families residing in the town. The population density was 205.7 people per square mile (79.5/km²). There were 339 housing units at an average density of 96.5 per square mile (37.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.45% White, 0.14% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.14% Asian, and 0.14% from two or more races. 0.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 315 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.78.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 6
1 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
5 Reviews 
5 Reviews 
2 Reviews 