How to Pick the Right Electrician Tech School near Athens Georgia
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Athens GA. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are a number of points to examine. For instance, many prospective students will start by searching for schools that are close to their home. When they have located several that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the sole qualifications that must be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your final decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options
There are three general approaches to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near Athens GA. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically offered by Georgia technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to complete and are offered by Georgia junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Georgia colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Athens GA can perform a multitude of functions, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around four to five years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be obtained in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases entails three 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you pick not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online
An alternative that you might have looked at is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, internet learning can be a more accommodating choice for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Travelling costs from Athens GA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Once you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Athens GA region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial 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 an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Athens GA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you obtain an excellent education, it can assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion 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 could also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader 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 can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Athens GA students obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Athens GA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job 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 state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Athens GA electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Athens home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might 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 experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to some of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Athens GA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Electrical Maintenance Training Athens Georgia
Selecting the best electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Maintenance Training and wanting more information on the topic Education Required To Be An Electrician. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician training that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Athens GA.
More Electric Locations in Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city–county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about 70 mi (113 km) northeast of downtown Atlanta, the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, being in the top ten of the largest metropolitan areas in the nation.[4] The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and a R1 research institution, is in the city and contributed to its initial growth. In 1991, after a vote the preceding year, the original City of Athens abandoned its charter to form a unified government with Clarke County, referred to jointly as Athens–Clarke County.[5] As of 2017[update], the U.S. Census Bureau's estimated population of the consolidated city-county (all of Clarke County except Winterville and a portion of Bogart) was 125,691; the entire county including Winterville and Bogart had a population of 127,064.[6] Athens is the sixth-largest city in Georgia, and the principal city of the Athens metropolitan area,[7] which had a 2017 estimated population of 209,271, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.[8] It is a component of the larger Atlanta–Athens–Clarke County–Sandy Springs Combined Statistical Area, a trading area.[9] The city is dominated by a pervasive student culture and music scene centered on downtown Athens, next to the University of Georgia's North Campus.[10] Major music acts associated with Athens include numerous alternative rock bands such as R.E.M., the B-52's, Widespread Panic, and Neutral Milk Hotel. The city is also known as a recording site for such groups as the Atlanta-based Indigo Girls.
In the late 18th century, a trading settlement on the banks of the Oconee River called Cedar Shoals stood where Athens is today. On January 27, 1785, the Georgia General Assembly granted a charter by Abraham Baldwin for the University of Georgia as the first state-supported university. Sixteen years later, in 1801, a committee from the university's board of trustees selected a site for the university on a hill above Cedar Shoals, in what was then Jackson County. On July 25, John Milledge, one of the trustees and later governor of Georgia, bought 633 acres (256 ha) from Daniel Easley and donated it to the university. Milledge named the surrounding area Athens after the city that was home to the Platonic Academy of Plato and Aristotle in Greece.[11]
The first buildings on the University of Georgia campus were made from logs. The town grew as lots adjacent to the college were sold to raise money for the additional construction of the school. By the time the first class graduated from the university in 1804, Athens consisted of three homes, three stores, and a few other buildings facing Front Street, now known as Broad Street. Completed in 1806 and named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, Franklin College was the first permanent structure of the University of Georgia and of the city of Athens. This brick building is now known as Old College.
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