How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Technical School near Wattsville Alabama
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Wattsville AL. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are a number of factors to evaluate. For instance, some students will start by searching for schools that are close to their residence. When they have found some that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications that need to be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your ultimate decision when picking an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are offered.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are three general options to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Wattsville AL. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are short summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Alabama trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to complete 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 prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Alabama institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be carried out before licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Wattsville AL can perform a wide range of functions, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually around 4 to 5 years of experience is required in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be obtained in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails three 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 prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online
An alternative that you may have contemplated is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Driving costs from Wattsville AL are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line also. Each of these benefits 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.
Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Once you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Wattsville AL region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other variables that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Wattsville AL program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Also, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate might indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It may also mean that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Wattsville AL grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Wattsville AL area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Wattsville AL electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Wattsville home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Wattsville AL, verify that the schools you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Courses For Electricians Wattsville Alabama
Picking the right electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Courses For Electricians and wanting more information on the topic Best Electrician Schools. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Wattsville AL.
More Electric Locations in Alabama
Atlanta and Birmingham Air Line Railway
The Atlanta and Birmingham Air Line Railway (A&BAL) was formed when the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) purchased the capital stock of the bankrupt East and West Railroad of Alabama (E&W) on April 23, 1902.[1] The E&W Railroad had already established a line from Cartersville, Georgia to Pell City, Alabama through the cities of Rockmart, Georgia, Cedartown, Georgia, and Piedmont, Alabama.
The SAL then merged the E&W into a new subsidiary called the Atlanta and Birmingham Air Line Railway. With this new subsidiary, a 37-mile extension was built from Coal City, Alabama (renamed to Wattsville in 1917) [2] to Birmingham, AL. In addition, a 43-mile connection from Howells, Georgia (located in Northwest Atlanta) was constructed to meet the former E&W at Rockmart.
Some of the sights on the line include the Pumpkinvine Creek Trestle located in Paulding County, Georgia which was built in 1901 by the E&W and is 126 feet high and 750 feet long.[3] Because of the mountainous terrain in Alabama, 3 tunnels were constructed on this line. At the time, SAL had no tunnels anywhere on their entire system.[4] The tunnels constructed were the Divide Tunnel (now called Bushy Mountain Tunnel) located near Braswell, Georgia,[5] the Hardwick Tunnel located between Odenville and Wattsville, Alabama,[4] and the Roper Tunnel located near Trussville, Alabama. The 3 tunnels totaled 2,964 ft. in length.[6] Currently, the Hardwick and Roper tunnels are being used by the Alabama and Tennessee River Railway, a subsidiary railroad of OmniTRAX.[7]
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