How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Trade School near Altoona Iowa
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Altoona IA. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are a number of variables to examine. For instance, some prospective students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have identified some that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the only qualifications that must be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are multiple ways to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Altoona IA. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or receive 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 made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically offered by Iowa trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards students who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to complete and are offered by Iowa junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Iowa institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be carried out prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Altoona IA can perform a vast array of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing 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 states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally around four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be obtained in various specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you choose not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Schools Online
A possibility that you might have contemplated is selecting an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning can be a more practical choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Altoona IA are also minimized and some of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Altoona IA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about 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 critical when making your selection, there are additional factors that must be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Altoona IA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get an excellent education, it can assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It might also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Altoona IA graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Altoona IA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the tools 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, consult with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Altoona IA electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Altoona residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized training 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 teachers and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with 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 reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Altoona IA, confirm that the programs you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Accredited Electrician Certificate Programs Altoona Iowa
Selecting the right electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Accredited Electrician Certificate Programs and wanting more information on the topic Journeyman Electrician Classes. But as we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides different options for certification also. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Altoona IA.
More Electric Locations in Iowa
Altoona, Iowa
Anthony Yant first settled in what is now Altoona in 1854, the same year Gilbert T. Taylor settled there. The land was originally surveyed in 1847 and put up for sale by the US government in 1848, but it took six years to sell. After many sales between different families, the Davis family ended up with the land on February 1, 1868.
The Davises hired surveyor Juian B. Bausman to lay out the city. He is also credited for giving the city the current name. Altoona is named for the Latin word for "high," altus, after surveyor Julian B. Bausman discovered Altoona was the highest point on the Des Moines Valley Railroad between Des Moines and Keokuk.[4]
The plot was recorded on July 30, 1868, and the Post office opened the next day. When the Rock Island Railroad came to Altoona in September of that year, they referred to Altoona as Yant, the city's original name.
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