How to Find the Best Electrician Trade School near Shakopee Minnesota
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Shakopee MN. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are a number of variables to examine. For example, many prospective students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have located several that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant, they are not the only qualifications that should be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are three general approaches to obtain electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Shakopee MN. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you would like to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most typical programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Minnesota trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to complete and are provided by Minnesota community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Minnesota colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Shakopee MN can undertake a multitude of duties, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically about four to five years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually assess electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be acquired in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves 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 imperative that the electrician tech school that you choose not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes
An option that you might have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs have become more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning can be a more convenient option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Travelling costs from Shakopee MN are also reduced and some of the study materials can be available on line as well. Each of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Once you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Shakopee MN region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Shakopee MN program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, some states require 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It could also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly important 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 employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Shakopee MN students secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician trade programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Shakopee MN area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Shakopee MN electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Shakopee residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with several of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Shakopee MN, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
College Electrician Courses Shakopee Minnesota
Picking the ideal electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in College Electrician Courses and wanting more information on the topic Online Electrician Training. But as we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must 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 conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Shakopee MN.
More Electric Locations in Minnesota
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee (/ˈʃɑːkəpiː/ SHAH-kə-pee) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota. It is located southwest of downtown Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the sixteenth-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with 3.6 million people. The population of Shakopee was 37,076 at the 2010 census.[5]
The river bank's Shakopee Historic District contains burial mounds built by prehistoric cultures. In the 18th century, Chief Shakopee of the Mdewakanton Dakota established his village on the east end of this area near the water. Trading led to the city's establishment in the 19th century. Shakopee boomed as a commerce exchange site between river and rail at Murphy's Landing.
Once an isolated city in the Minnesota River Valley, by the 1960s the economy of Shakopee was tied to that of the expanding metropolitan area. Significant growth as a bedroom community occurred after U.S. Highway 169 was realigned in 1996 toward the new Bloomington Ferry Bridge.
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