How to Choose the Right Electrician Technical School near Shreveport Louisiana
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Shreveport LA. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are a number of factors to consider. For example, many potential students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have identified some that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though cost and location are of importance, they are not the only factors that must be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final judgment 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 becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are offered.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are three general ways to receive electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Shreveport LA. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short explanations of the three most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Louisiana trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are offered by Louisiana community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Louisiana colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in Shreveport LA can perform a multitude of services, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of practical 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). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be obtained in several specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you pick not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Training Classes
An alternative that you may have contemplated is choosing an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools have become more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more convenient option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Commuting expenses from Shreveport LA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be available 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 discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Shreveport LA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Shreveport LA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you get an excellent education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate might signify that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It could also signify that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader 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 will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Shreveport LA graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Shreveport LA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Shreveport LA electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Shreveport residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Shreveport LA, check that the schools you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Study Electrician Shreveport Louisiana
Picking the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Study Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Classes. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world context, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each program offers different options for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Shreveport LA.
More Electric Locations in Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport (/ˈʃriːvpɔːrt/ SHREEV-port) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the most populous city in the Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area. Shreveport ranks third in population in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge and 126th in the U.S. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, of which it is the parish seat.[5] Shreveport extends along the west bank of the Red River (most notably at Wright Island, the Charles and Marie Hamel Memorial Park, and Bagley Island) into neighboring Bossier Parish. The population of Shreveport was 199,311 as of the 2010 U.S. Census.[6] The United States Census Bureau's 2017 estimate for the city's population decreased to 192,036.[7]
Shreveport was founded in 1836 by the Shreve Town Company, a corporation established to develop a town at the juncture of the newly navigable Red River and the Texas Trail, an overland route into the newly independent Republic of Texas. Prior to Texas becoming independent, this trail entered Mexico.[8] The city grew throughout the 20th century and, after the discovery of oil in Louisiana, became a national center for the oil industry. Standard Oil of Louisiana (absorbed by Standard Oil of New Jersey and now part of ExxonMobil) and United Gas Corporation (now part of Pennzoil) were headquartered in the city until the 1960s and 1980s. After the loss of jobs in the oil industry, the close of Shreveport Operations (a General Motors vehicle factory), and other economic problems the city struggled with a declining population, poverty, drugs and violent crime.[9] Since Cedric Glover's tenure as mayor of Shreveport, the city has revitalized its neighborhoods and roads to end its population decline, revive the economy through diversification, and lower crime.[10][11]
Shreveport is the educational, commercial and cultural center of the Ark-La-Tex region, where Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas meet. It is the location of Centenary College of Louisiana, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Louisiana Tech University Shreveport, Southern University at Shreveport, and Louisiana Baptist University. Its neighboring city Bossier is the location of Bossier Parish Community College. The city forms part of the I-20 Cyber Corridor linking Shreveport, Bossier, Ruston, and Monroe to Dallas and Tyler, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia.[12][13] Companies with significant operations or headquarters in Shreveport are AT&T, Chase Bank, Capital One, Regions Financial Corporation, SWEPCO, UPS, General Electric, UOP LLC,[14]Calumet Specialty Products Partners, and APS Payroll.
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