Industrial Electrician School Ketchikan AK

How to Enroll in the Right Electrician Training School near Ketchikan Alaska

Ketchikan AK electrician working on circuit boardThe initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Ketchikan AK. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are so many variables to consider. For example, some students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have located a few that are within driving range, they will decide on the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the sole factors that need to be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your final decision when selecting an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are accessible.

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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options

Ketchikan AK electrician on power line poleThere are multiple ways to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Ketchikan AK. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three options. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the three most prevalent programs offered.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Alaska technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards those who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
  • Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to finish and are offered by Alaska community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Alaska institutions, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed before licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Ketchikan AK electrician wiring boxElectricians in Ketchikan AK can perform a wide range of services, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you pick not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Programs

Ketchikan AK student attending electrician school onlineA possibility that you may have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning may be a more practical alternative for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting expenses from Ketchikan AK are also minimized and some of the study materials may be accessed online as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Questions to ask Ketchikan AK electrician schoolsNow that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Ketchikan AK area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical tech school.

Accreditation.  A large number of electrician technical programs 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 instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Ketchikan AK program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you acquire a superior education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It could also signify that the instructors were not qualified 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 directory of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Ketchikan AK grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs.  Most electrician training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Ketchikan AK area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Ketchikan AK electrical contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Ketchikan home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes.   It’s desirable that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling.  Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Ketchikan AK, verify that the programs you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.

Industrial Electrician School Ketchikan Alaska

Ketchikan AK electricians working on power linesPicking the right electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Industrial Electrician School and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Technology Schools. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training program that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Ketchikan AK.

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    Ketchikan, Alaska

    Ketchikan (/ˈkɛtʃɪkæn/ KETCH-ih-kan;[8]Tlingit: Kichx̱áan) is a city[5][9] in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost city in Alaska. With a population at the 2010 census of 8,050,[5] it is the fifth-most populous city in the state, and tenth-most populous community when census-designated places are included. The surrounding borough, encompassing suburbs both north and south of the city along the Tongass Highway (most of which are commonly regarded as a part of Ketchikan, albeit not a part of the city itself), plus small rural settlements accessible mostly by water, registered a population of 13,477 in that same census.[10] Estimates put the 2017 population at 13,754 people.[11] Incorporated on August 25, 1900, Ketchikan is the earliest extant incorporated city in Alaska, because consolidation or unification elsewhere in Alaska resulted in dissolution of those communities' city governments. Ketchikan is located on Revillagigedo Island, so named in 1793 by Captain George Vancouver.

    Ketchikan is named after Ketchikan Creek, which flows through the town, emptying into the Tongass Narrows a short distance southeast of its downtown. "Ketchikan" comes from the Tlingit name for the creek, Kitschk-hin, the meaning of which is unclear. It may mean "the river belonging to Kitschk"; other accounts claim it means "Thundering Wings of an Eagle".[12] In modern Tlingit this name is rendered as Kichx̱áan.[13]

    Ketchikan Creek served as a summer fish camp for Tlingit natives for untold years before the town was established by Mike Martin in 1885. He was sent to the area by an Oregon canning company to assess prospects. He established the saltery Clark & Martin and a general store with Nova Scotia native George Clark who had been foreman at a cannery that burned down.[14]

     

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