How to Choose the Right Electrician Trade School near Owensboro Kentucky
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Owensboro KY. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are a number of variables to consider. For example, some prospective students will start by searching for schools that are close to their residence. After they have identified a few that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole things that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your final judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, 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 Options
There are several ways to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Owensboro KY. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Bellow are brief explanations of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Kentucky technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards those who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to complete and are offered by Kentucky junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Kentucky colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Owensboro KY can perform a wide range of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually assess electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be acquired in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves three 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 crucial that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools
An alternative that you might have looked at is choosing an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning can be a more accommodating option for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Owensboro KY are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Now that you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Owensboro KY region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other variables that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Owensboro KY school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, 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 looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate could signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It could also indicate that the instructors were not qualified 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 list 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 field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Owensboro KY graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Owensboro KY area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Owensboro KY electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Owensboro residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Owensboro KY, confirm that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.
Electrician Education Owensboro Kentucky
Picking the ideal electrician trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Education and wanting more information on the topic Master Electrician Course. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Owensboro KY.
More Electric Locations in Kentucky
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is a home rule-class city[3] in and the county seat of[4]Daviess County, Kentucky, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in the state by population. Owensboro is located on U.S. Route 60 about 107 miles (172 km) southwest of Louisville, and is the principal city of the Owensboro metropolitan area. The 2015 population was 59,042.[5][not in citation given] The metropolitan population was estimated at 116,506.[6]
Evidence of American Indian settlement in the area dates back 12,000 years. Following a series of failed uprisings with British support, however, the last Shawnee were forced to vacate the area before the end of the 18th century.
The first European descendant to settle in Owensboro was frontiersman William Smeathers or Smothers in 1797, for whom the riverfront park is named. The settlement was originally known as "Yellow Banks" from the color of the land beside the Ohio River. The Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered at what is today's Owensboro prior to departing on their famous travels. In 1817, Yellow Banks was formally established under the name Owensborough, named after Col. Abraham Owen. In 1893, the spelling of the name was shortened to its current Owensboro.[7]
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