How to Enroll in the Right Electrician Trade School near Somerset Kentucky
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Somerset KY. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of factors to evaluate. For instance, some prospective students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have found some that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the only qualifications that need to be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, 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 Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are multiple ways to receive electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Somerset KY. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Bellow are brief descriptions of the 3 most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Kentucky technical and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards those who would like to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take two years to finish and are provided by Kentucky junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some Kentucky institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. Therefore, most students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines
Electricians in Somerset 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 required to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around four to five years of experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be obtained in several specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves 3 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
An option that you may have contemplated is selecting 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 needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, internet learning might be a more convenient choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Travelling expenses from Somerset KY are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Once you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Somerset KY region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional factors that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Somerset KY program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get a quality education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to qualify 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate might indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It could also mean that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher 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 use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Somerset KY students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Somerset KY area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus 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, talk to the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Somerset KY electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Somerset residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Somerset KY, check that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Technical Schools For Electricians Somerset Kentucky
Selecting the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Technical Schools For Electricians and wanting more information on the topic Accredited Electrical Certification Training. But as we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every training program offers unique options for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor some 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 right training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Somerset KY.
More Electric Locations in Kentucky
Somerset, Kentucky
Somerset was first settled in 1798 by Thomas Hansford and received its name from Somerset County, New Jersey, where some of the early settlers had formerly lived. Somerset became the Pulaski County seat in 1802, and it was incorporated as a city in 1887. A significant Civil War battle was fought in January 1862, at Mill Springs (now "Nancy") about 8 miles (13 km) west of Somerset, and a museum is at the site. A smaller battle was fought nearby at Dutton's Hill in 1863. In 1875 tracks for the Southern Railroad were completed and Somerset saw a sudden population growth and an increase in industry.[2] In the late 1930s and early 1940s, library services were provided by the pack horse library.[3][4] The completion of Lake Cumberland in 1950 transformed Somerset from a sleepy rural community into one of the largest recreation centers in Kentucky, drawing more than 1.7 million visitors annually, especially between the Memorial and Labor Day holidays.
Somerset is located at 37°4′59″N 84°36′34″W / 37.08306°N 84.60944°W / 37.08306; -84.60944 (37.082966, -84.609387),[5] and the downtown (central) part of the city is at an elevation of 974 feet above sea level. The city is located at the eastern end of Kentucky's Mississippian Plateau (or Pennyroyal Plateau); however, the micropolitan area extends eastward into the Appalachian Plateau (or Eastern Kentucky Coalfield), and northward to Kentucky's Outer Bluegrass region. Thus, the area shows significant variations in landforms and scenery.
Nearby Lake Cumberland is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world (101 miles in length, with an average depth of 85 feet (26 m) and a normal pool containing more than 2 trillion gallons of water). Somerset is also near Cumberland Falls and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area; its tourism industries are, in part, due to its scenic and varied landscape.[6]
Business Results 1 - 10 of 3
1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
3 Reviews 