How to Select the Best Electrician Technical School near Parksville Kentucky
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Parksville KY. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are a number of points to examine. For instance, some potential students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have found a few that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Although cost and location are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that should be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your final judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are accessible.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are several ways to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Parksville KY. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you would like to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most typical programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Kentucky trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards students who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to finish and are provided by Kentucky junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Kentucky institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out before licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in Parksville KY can carry out a vast array of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically about four to five years of practical experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 3 levels of competency:
- 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 trade school that you select not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Training Classes
An alternative that you might have contemplated is choosing an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, internet learning may be a more convenient option for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting expenses from Parksville KY are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with 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 start to refine your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Parksville KY region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are other factors that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Parksville KY program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states mandate 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 considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It might also mean that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Parksville KY grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Parksville KY area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Parksville KY electrical contractor if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Parksville residence. Remember 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 important 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 some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with several of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Parksville KY, confirm that the programs you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Electrician College Parksville Kentucky
Choosing the best electrical training program 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 College and wanting more information on the topic How Long To Become A Electrician. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching 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 differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers different possibilities 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 students and instructors. Take the time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Parksville KY.
More Electric Locations in Kentucky
Parksville, Kentucky
Parksville is a small unincorporated community on the Chaplin River in south central Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the eastern end of Ky Route 300, where it intersects with Ky Route 34, near the US Post Office. The global position of Parksville is 37.597N latitude and -84.891W longitude. Elevation is 1,083 feet (330 m) above sea level. Current population is approximately 900 people.
Chapter 1916, of the Laws of Kentucky, 1867 says, in part: "AN ACT to incorporate the Town of Parksville, in Boyle County. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 1. That the town, in the county of Boyle, situated on the Clark's Run and Salt River turnpike and the Lebanon extension of the Louisville and Nashville railroad, known as Parksville, be, and the same is hereby, incorporated and established as the town of Parksville. ... 10. The limits of said town shall extend one quarter of a mile in every direction from the center thereof at the crossroads at W. D. Latimer's storehouse." In 1880 (Laws of Kentucky, Chapter 617), the boundary was modified so as to include the cemetery and the Christian church, "the line to run north and south with the [sic] on the east side of said cemetery."
Parksville was founded by James Parks who is buried in the Parksville Cemetery. It is located near the geographical center of the state of Kentucky at the intersection of Kentucky Route 300 and Kentucky Route 34.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 2
1 Reviews 
4 Reviews 