How to Find the Right Electrician Tech School near Lebanon Kentucky
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Lebanon KY. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are a number of points to evaluate. For example, many potential students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have identified some that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the sole factors that should be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your final judgment when selecting an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are offered.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are three general ways to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Lebanon KY. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Following are brief descriptions of the three most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Kentucky vocational and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards those who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Kentucky community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Kentucky colleges, but are less preferred 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 performed before licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria
Electricians in Lebanon KY can carry out a vast array of tasks, such as 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 become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly about four to five years of experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly test electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be earned in several specializations, 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 organizations 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 pick not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online
An option that you might have contemplated is choosing an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning might be a more convenient alternative for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Driving expenses from Lebanon KY are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be available online as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Lebanon KY region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first 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 final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional factors that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade programs 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, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Lebanon KY school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools 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 may indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It might also signify that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative 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 will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Lebanon KY graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Lebanon KY area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained 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, check with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Lebanon KY electrical company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Lebanon residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience 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 are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Lebanon KY, confirm that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.
I Want To Be An Electrician Lebanon Kentucky
Selecting the best electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in I Want To Be An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Accredited Electrician Schools Online. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current 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 satisfy your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Lebanon KY.
More Electric Locations in Kentucky
Lebanon, Kentucky
Lebanon is a home rule-class city[2] in Marion County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 6,331 at the 2010 census. It is the seat of its county.[3] Lebanon is located in central Kentucky, southeast of Louisville. A national cemetery is located nearby.
Lebanon is renowned for its Ham Days Festival and Tractor Show which is held during the last weekend of September. In the 1960s and early 1970s, it was known as an entertainment hotspot, as nationally known acts appeared at Club 68 and the Golden Horseshoe nightclubs.
Lebanon is located at 37°34′14″N 85°15′23″W / 37.57056°N 85.25639°W / 37.57056; -85.25639 (37.570623, -85.256263).[4] It is approximately 30 miles (48 km) from Danville and 20 miles (32 km) north of Campbellsville. It is located at the junction of US 68 and Ky. 55, Ky. 52, and Ky. 49. Ky. 84 intersects Ky. 49 and 52 just west of town.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 1
19 Reviews 