How to Select the Best Electrician Trade School near Cedar Lake Indiana
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Cedar Lake IN. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are a number of factors to examine. For instance, some prospective students will start by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have located some that are within commuting range, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the sole things that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your final decision when selecting an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are three general options to get electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Cedar Lake IN. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are short explanations of the three most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Indiana trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards those who would like to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take 2 years to complete and are offered by Indiana junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some Indiana colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Cedar Lake IN can perform a wide range of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally about 4 to 5 years of experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be obtained in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 3 levels of proficiency:
- 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 crucial that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs
An alternative that you might have considered is choosing an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, distance learning may be a more practical alternative for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting expenses from Cedar Lake IN are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available on line as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools
When you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Cedar Lake IN 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 online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Cedar Lake IN program is 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 obtain a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may 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 produce 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 a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Cedar Lake IN students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Cedar Lake IN area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Cedar Lake IN electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Cedar Lake home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Cedar Lake IN, confirm that the programs you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.
Vocational School Electrician Cedar Lake Indiana
Picking the ideal electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Vocational School Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Training Courses For Electricians. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides different possibilities 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. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Cedar Lake IN.
More Electric Locations in Indiana
Cedar Lake, Indiana
Cedar Lake is a town in Hanover and Center townships, Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 11,560 at the 2010 census. The town is known for Cedar Lake (formerly Lake of the Red Cedars, Armour).
Cedar Lake was settled by pioneers in the mid-19th century and was originally named West Point; the name “Cedar Lake” belonged to a nearby town that is now called Creston, Indiana.[7] In 1839, the town that was then called West Point competed with the settlements of Liverpool and Lake Court House (later called Crown Point) to be the county seat of Lake County, but lost out to Liverpool.[7] By 1870, the Cedar Lake Post Office was established, giving the area a new name. After the Monon Railroad came to the lake's western shore in 1882, many new residents flocked to the area along with tourists who saw the lake as a resort destination. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Cedar Lake was a popular place for Chicagoans looking for a retreat from the city. The lake had over 50 hotels at the time and several pavilions and ballrooms that brought many well-known bands to entertain the visitors.[8]
According to the 2010 census, Cedar Lake has a total area of 9.61 square miles (24.89 km2), of which 8.22 square miles (21.29 km2) (or 85.54%) is land and 1.39 square miles (3.60 km2) (or 14.46%) is water.[11] The lake, which is the largest natural lake in northwest Indiana, appears to have formed from glacial meltwaters. There is an abundance of hills around the lake, which are evidence of the Valparaiso Moraine running through the area.
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