How to Choose the Right Electrician Training School near Mayfield Kentucky
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Mayfield KY. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of variables to evaluate. For instance, some students will start by searching for schools that are close to their residence. After they have identified some that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the sole factors that need to be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your final decision when selecting an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are several ways to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Mayfield KY. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three options. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are short explanations of the three most typical programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Kentucky vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards those who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by Kentucky junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Kentucky institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria
Electricians in Mayfield KY can undertake a multitude of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally about four to five years of practical experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be acquired in many specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes three levels of competency:
- 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 imperative that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes
An option that you might have considered is selecting an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more accommodating option for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Travelling expenses from Mayfield KY are also minimized and some of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Mayfield KY area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical vocational 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 Mayfield KY school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate might suggest that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It might also signify that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher 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 validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Mayfield KY grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Mayfield KY area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are already 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 Mayfield KY electrical contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Mayfield residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Mayfield KY, verify that the programs you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.
Best Electrician Courses Mayfield Kentucky
Picking the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Best Electrician Courses and wanting more information on the topic Industrial Electrician Training. But as we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification as well. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Mayfield KY.
More Electric Locations in Kentucky
Mayfield, Kentucky
Mayfield is in the center of the Jackson Purchase, an eight-county region purchased by Isaac Shelby and Andrew Jackson from the Chickasaw people in 1818. Mayfield was established as the county seat of Graves County in 1821, and the county was formally organized in 1823. John Anderson is believed to have been the first European-American settler, arriving in 1819 and building a log home on Mayfield Creek. In December 1821, Anderson was appointed county court clerk and moved about two and a half miles to the site that became Mayfield. According to Trabue Davis, the town's name originates indirectly from a gambler named Mayfield, who was kidnapped about 1817 at a racetrack near what is now Hickman. He was carried to the site of today's Mayfield, where he carved his name into a tree in hopes that someone would see it. He tried to escape, but drowned trying to cross what is now called Mayfield Creek. The town took its name from the creek.[2]
The completion of the Memphis, New Orleans, and Northern Railroad in 1858 connected Mayfield with the outside world. Beginning with the founding of the Mayfield Woolen Mills in 1860, manufacturing clothing became the main industry in Mayfield for the next hundred years. The town was also a major market for loose-leaf tobacco, and was part of the Black Patch, where Dark Fired Tobacco was processed.
During the Civil War, the Jackson Purchase area, including Mayfield, strongly supported the Confederate cause. It has been called "Kentucky's South Carolina".[10] On May 29, 1861, a group of Southern sympathizers from Kentucky and Tennessee met at the Graves County Courthouse to discuss the possibility of joining the Jackson Purchase to West Tennessee. Most records of the event are lost, probably due to an 1887 fire that destroyed the courthouse.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 4