How to Choose the Right Electrician Tech School near Lilburn Georgia
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Lilburn GA. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are a number of variables to examine. For example, many potential students will start by searching for schools that are close to their residence. When they have located a few that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications that need to be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate decision when picking an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are several ways to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Lilburn GA. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are short summaries of the three most typical programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Georgia technical and trade schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Georgia community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Georgia institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out before licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Lilburn GA can carry out a wide range of services, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually around four to five years of experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be obtained in several specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you pick not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online
An option that you may have considered is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs 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 convenient option for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Travelling costs from Lilburn GA are also reduced and some of the study materials may be available on line as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Lilburn GA area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested 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 important when making your decision, there are other variables that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire 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 sure that the Lilburn GA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get a quality education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved 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 percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate may suggest that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It may also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Lilburn GA graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Lilburn GA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Lilburn GA electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Lilburn residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to several of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Lilburn GA, verify that the programs you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
Advanced Electrical Training Lilburn Georgia
Selecting the best electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Advanced Electrical Training and wanting more information on the topic Online Courses Electrician. But as we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare among the schools 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 need to be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every program offers different options for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Lilburn GA.
More Electric Locations in Georgia
Lilburn, Georgia
Lilburn is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. The population was 11,596 at the 2010 census.[3] The estimated population was 12,655 in 2015.[4] It is a developed suburb of Atlanta and a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Lilburn is located in western Gwinnett County at 33°53′20″N 84°8′27″W / 33.88889°N 84.14083°W / 33.88889; -84.14083 (33.888853, -84.140897).[5]U.S. Route 29 (Lawrenceville Highway) passes through the center of town, leading southwest 19 miles (31 km) to downtown Atlanta and northeast 11 miles (18 km) to Lawrenceville, the Gwinnett County seat.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Lilburn has a total area of 6.4 square miles (16.5 km2), of which 6.3 square miles (16.4 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.82%, is water.[3]
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