How to Pick the Right Electrician Training School near Waterbury Connecticut
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Waterbury CT. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are so many points to evaluate. For example, some prospective students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have identified a few that are within commuting distance, they will select the one with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important, they are not the sole factors that should be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when selecting an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are available.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are multiple options to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Waterbury CT. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the three most typical programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Connecticut vocational and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards those who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are provided by Connecticut community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Connecticut colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be carried out before licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Waterbury CT can perform a multitude of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge 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 offered vary by state and can be acquired in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
An option that you may have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, distance learning may be a more accommodating alternative for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Driving costs from Waterbury CT are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Training Schools
When you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Waterbury CT area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional variables that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Waterbury CT school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a superior education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate may suggest that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It could also mean that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Waterbury CT grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Waterbury CT area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local 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 in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Waterbury CT electrical company if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Waterbury home. Remember 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 training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few 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 evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Waterbury CT, verify that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Electrician Training Waterbury Connecticut
Picking the best electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Training and wanting more information on the topic Electrical License Classes. But as we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller 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 course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Waterbury CT.
More Electric Locations in Connecticut
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury (nicknamed "The Brass City") is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, Waterbury had a population of 110,366,[3] making it the 10th largest city in the New York Metropolitan Area, 9th largest city in New England and the 5th largest city in Connecticut.[4]
Throughout the first half of the 20th century, Waterbury had large industrial interests and was the leading center in the United States for the manufacture of brassware (including castings and finishings), as reflected in the nickname the "Brass City" and the city's motto Quid Aere Perennius? ("What Is More Lasting Than Brass?"). It was also noted for the manufacture of watches and clocks.
The city is along Interstate 84 (Yankee Expressway) and Route 8 and has a Metro-North railroad station with connections to Grand Central Terminal. Waterbury is also home to Post University and the regional campuses of the University of Connecticut, University of Bridgeport, Western Connecticut State University as well as Naugatuck Valley Community College.
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