How to Choose the Right Electrician Vocational School near Slagle Louisiana
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Slagle LA. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are so many factors to consider. For instance, many potential students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have located a few that are within commuting distance, they will decide on the one with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that need to be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final judgment when picking an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are three general options to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Slagle LA. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are brief summaries of the 3 most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Louisiana vocational and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards students who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to complete and are offered by Louisiana community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Louisiana institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in Slagle LA can perform a multitude of duties, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally about 4 to 5 years of experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be acquired in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 3 levels of competency:
- 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 tech school that you choose not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
An alternative that you might have considered is choosing an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, internet learning might be a more convenient alternative for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Driving expenses from Slagle LA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Slagle LA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed 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 final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional factors that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Slagle LA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you receive a superior education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Also, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order 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 finish the course. A low completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It may also signify that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Slagle LA students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Slagle LA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Slagle LA electrical company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Slagle residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger 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 instructors and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Slagle LA, verify that the programs you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make 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.
Night School Electrical Courses Slagle Louisiana
Picking the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Night School Electrical Courses and wanting more information on the topic How To Become A Electrician. But as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training program that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each program offers different possibilities for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Slagle LA.
More Electric Locations in Louisiana
Jacob Slagle
Slagle grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended the Gilman School before enrolling at Princeton University.[4] He played college football at the fullback, halfback and quarterback positions for the Princeton Tigers football team from 1924 to 1926 and was known as a triple-threat man who handled passing, kicking and rushing responsibilities for the team, and excelled on defense as well.[5][6]
Slagle was selected by the United Press as a first-team fullback on the 1925 College Football All-America Team.[7] He also received second-team All-American honors in 1924 from Walter Camp (at quarterback) and in 1925 from the Associated Press (at fullback), All-America Board (at quarterback), Collier's Weekly (at halfback), and others.[8][9][10][11]
After missing most of the 1926 season due to illness, Slagle left the hospital in November 1926 to lead the Tigers to their third consecutive victory over Harvard. After that game, Princeton coach Bill Roper praised Slagle's efforts:
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