How to Find the Best Electrician Technical School near Lansing Kansas
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Lansing KS. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are so many variables to consider. For instance, many potential students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have found some that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though cost and location are significant, they are not the sole things that should be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options
There are several approaches to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Lansing KS. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Kansas trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to finish and are provided by Kansas 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 Degree programs are accessible at certain Kansas colleges, but are less favored 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 performed prior to licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Lansing KS can perform a wide range of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly around 4 to 5 years of experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be obtained in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails three levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations 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 delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Training Classes
An alternative that you might have considered is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools have become more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more convenient choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Commuting expenses from Lansing KS are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online also. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Lansing KS region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned 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 important when making your selection, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to selecting an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Lansing KS school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire a quality education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It may also signify that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may result in 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 a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Lansing KS grads secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Lansing KS area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Lansing KS electrical company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Lansing residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized 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 see how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Lansing KS, verify that the programs you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.
Accredited Electrician Trade Schools Lansing Kansas
Choosing the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Accredited Electrician Trade Schools and wanting more information on the topic Certified Electrician School. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Lansing KS.
More Electric Locations in Kansas
Lansing, Kansas
Lansing is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. It is situated along the west side of the Missouri River and Kansas-Missouri state border. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,265.[7] It is the second most populous city of Leavenworth County and is a part of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Lansing is named for James Lansing, a pioneer settler.[8] Formerly William Lansing Taylor, James changed his name upon his enlistment in 1862 as a hospital steward in the 7th Kansas Cavalry. Following the Civil War, he earned a position at the new state penitentiary in Kansas as a hospital steward. He later resigned and opened a general mercantile store, which held the post office and an apothecary business, in the area called “Town of Progress”. “Doc Lansing”, as he became known, and his friend John C. Schmidt became co-owners of 90 acres (360,000 m2) of land that was platted into town lots in 1878; they named the area “Town of Lansing”. Lansing did not become an incorporated city until 1959.[9]
The Kansas State Penitentiary, later renamed the Lansing Correctional Facility in 1990, was authorized by the Kansas Constitution in 1859; it is the state's largest and oldest facility for detention and rehabilitation of male adult felons.[9] With the opening of the coal mine at the prison the town became an important shipping point for this product.[10]
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