How to Pick the Best Electrician Vocational School near Lakewood Colorado
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Lakewood CO. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are so many points to evaluate. For instance, many students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have found some that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that must be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are available.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are several options to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Lakewood CO. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Bellow are short summaries of the three most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Colorado trade and technical schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards students who wish to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to complete and are offered by Colorado community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Colorado institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be carried out before licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria
Electricians in Lakewood CO can undertake a vast array of duties, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be earned in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 3 levels of competency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you select not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools
A possibility that you may have contemplated is selecting an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, internet learning might be a more convenient alternative for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Driving costs from Lakewood CO are also minimized and some of the study materials can be available online as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Lakewood CO area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other variables that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Lakewood CO program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you obtain a superior education, it may assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate might indicate that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It might also indicate that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to use 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 additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Lakewood CO grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Lakewood CO area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Lakewood CO electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Lakewood home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the teachers and find out 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 handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Lakewood CO, verify that the programs you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Online Journeyman Electrician School Lakewood Colorado
Choosing the best electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Online Journeyman Electrician School and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Training Courses Online. But as we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Lakewood CO.
More Electric Locations in Colorado
Lakewood, Colorado
Lakewood is a Home Rule Municipality which is the most populous municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Lakewood is the fifth most populous city in the State of Colorado and the 172nd most populous city in the United States. The city population was 142,980 at the 2010 United States Census. Lakewood is west of Denver and is part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The urban/suburban development of the community known as Lakewood was begun in 1889 by Charles Welch and W.A.H. Loveland, who platted a 13-block area along Colfax Avenue west of Denver in eastern Jefferson County. Loveland, the former president of the Colorado Central Railroad, retired to the new community of Lakewood after many years of living in Golden.[citation needed]
Until 1969, the area known as Lakewood had no municipal government, relying instead on several water districts, several fire districts, and the government of Jefferson County. Lakewood was a community with policing provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff, several volunteer staffed fire districts, and some neighborhoods without street lights and sidewalks. However, the community had already existed for about 80 years.[citation needed]
Business Results 1 - 10 of 292
56 Reviews 16 Reviews 
7 Reviews 
24 Reviews 
14 Reviews 
17 Reviews 
34 Reviews 
9 Reviews 
33 Reviews 
13 Reviews 