How to Choose the Best Electrician Trade School near Lexington Kentucky
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Lexington KY. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are so many factors to examine. For example, many prospective students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. When they have found several that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the least expensive tuition. Although cost and location are significant, they are not the sole factors that should be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are multiple options to get electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Lexington KY. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the three most prevalent programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by Kentucky trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to finish and are provided by Kentucky junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Kentucky institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria
Electricians in Lexington KY can carry out a multitude of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be earned in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails 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 select not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Schools
A possibility that you may have looked at is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools have become more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning can be a more convenient alternative for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus many online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting costs from Lexington KY are also reduced and some of the study materials can be available on line also. All of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
When you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Lexington KY region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other variables that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may 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 Lexington KY school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you get a quality education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify 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 course. A low completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to utilize 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 industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Lexington KY students obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Lexington KY area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Lexington KY electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Lexington 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 receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Lexington KY, verify that the programs you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make 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 issues.
Vocational Electrician Schools Lexington Kentucky
Selecting the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Vocational Electrician Schools and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Course. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Lexington KY.
More Electric Locations in Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, consolidated with Fayette County and often denoted as Lexington-Fayette, is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 60th-largest city in the United States. By land area, Lexington is the 28th largest city in the United States. Known as the "Horse Capital of the World," it is the heart of the state's Bluegrass region. It has a nonpartisan mayor-council form of government, with 12 council districts and three members elected at large, with the highest vote-getter designated vice mayor. In the 2018 U.S. Census Estimate, the city's population was 323,780 anchoring a metropolitan area of 516,697 people and a combined statistical area of 746,330 people.
Lexington ranks 10th among US cities in college education rate, with 39.5% of residents having at least a bachelor's degree.[3] It is the location of the Kentucky Horse Park, The Red Mile and Keeneland race courses, Rupp Arena, Transylvania University, the University of Kentucky, and Bluegrass Community and Technical College.
This area of fertile soil and abundant wildlife was long occupied by varying tribes of Native Americans. European explorers began to trade with them, but settlers did not come in large numbers until the late 18th century.
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