Category Archives: Pennsylvania

Best Trade School For Electrician Westover PA

How to Select the Right Electrician Training School near Westover Pennsylvania

Westover PA electrician working on circuit boardThe initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Westover PA. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are so many factors to consider. For example, many potential students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have located several that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though location and cost are of importance, they are not the only factors that must be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are available.

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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options

Westover PA electrician on power line poleThere are multiple approaches to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Westover PA. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three options. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the 3 most common programs offered.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
  • Associate Degrees require 2 years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Westover PA electrician wiring boxElectricians in Westover PA can carry out a vast array of functions, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around four to five years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be earned in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools

Westover PA student attending electrician school onlineA possibility that you might have looked at is choosing an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs have become more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning can be a more convenient choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Commuting expenses from Westover PA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Questions to ask Westover PA electrician schoolsNow that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Westover PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other variables that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical tech school.

Accreditation.  A large number of electrician vocational programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Westover PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates.  Ask the electrician schools 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 lower completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Westover PA students obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs.  Most electrician technical programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Westover PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Confirm 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 presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Westover PA electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Westover residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition charges 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 bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling.  Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Westover PA, verify that the schools you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Best Trade School For Electrician Westover Pennsylvania

Westover PA electricians working on power linesPicking the right electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Best Trade School For Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Best Electrician Courses. But as we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every program provides different options for certification as well. Perhaps 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 a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Westover PA.

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    Westover, Pennsylvania

    Westover is located in southern Clearfield County at 40°45′4″N 78°40′20″W / 40.75111°N 78.67222°W / 40.75111; -78.67222 (40.751017, -78.672239),[4] in the valley of Chest Creek, a north-flowing tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River. The borough's southern border is the northern boundary of Cambria County. Pennsylvania Route 36 passes through the borough, leading north 7 miles (11 km) to Newburg and south 10 miles (16 km) to Patton.

    According to the United States Census Bureau, Westover has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.1 km2), of which 2.7 square miles (7.0 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 1.95%, is water.[3]

    As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 458 people, 169 households, and 123 families residing in the borough. The population density was 166.7 people per square mile (64.3/km²). There were 182 housing units at an average density of 66.3 per square mile (25.6/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.91% White, 0.44% Asian, and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population.

     

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