How to Find the Best Electrician Trade School near Southfield Michigan
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Southfield MI. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are a number of variables to consider. For instance, some students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have located several that are within driving range, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the only factors that must be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are available.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are multiple ways to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Southfield MI. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Following are brief summaries of the 3 most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Michigan technical and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards students who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to complete and are offered by Michigan junior or community colleges, typically 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 previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Michigan institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Southfield MI can carry out a multitude of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally about four to five years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be acquired in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails three 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) along with 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 ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Training Classes
An alternative that you might have considered is choosing an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning may be a more convenient option for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Travelling expenses from Southfield MI are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be available online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Southfield MI region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are other factors that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Southfield MI school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you receive a quality education, it can assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states mandate that the electrician training program 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 percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It may also indicate that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Southfield MI graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Southfield MI area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Southfield MI electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Southfield home. Take note 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 desirable that you get as much individualized training 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 see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with several of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Southfield MI, verify that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
How Long Does It Take To Become An Electrician Southfield Michigan
Selecting the ideal electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in How Long Does It Take To Become An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Schools To Become An Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Southfield MI.
More Electric Locations in Michigan
Southfield, Michigan
Southfield is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 71,739.[6] A part of Metro Detroit's upscale office market, the city's marque is a cluster of five golden skyscrapers – known as the "Golden Triangle" – that form the contemporary 2,200,000 square feet (204,400 m2) Southfield Town Center office complex with a Westin Hotel and a conference center. In addition, a 33-story luxury residential high-rise is separate from the complex. To the west, near the confluence of I-696/Reuther Freeway and M-10/Lodge Freeway, is the American Center.
Southfield was surveyed in 1817 according to the plan by Michigan territorial governor Lewis Cass.[7] The first settlers came from nearby Birmingham and Royal Oak, Michigan, as well as the states of New York and Vermont. The area that would become Southfield was settled by John Daniels in 1823. Among the founders were the Heth, Stephens, Harmon, McClelland and Thompson families.
Town 1 north, 10 east was first organized as Ossewa Township on July 12, 1830, but the name was changed seventeen days later to Southfield Township.[7] The township took its name from its location in the "south fields" of Bloomfield Township. A US post office was established in 1833 and the first town hall built in 1873.
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