How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Vocational School near Gulfport Mississippi
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Gulfport MS. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are so many factors to consider. For instance, some prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have identified some that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the sole qualifications that need to be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final decision when selecting an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are offered.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are several ways to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Gulfport MS. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Bellow are short summaries of the three most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Mississippi trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid 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 finish and are offered by Mississippi junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some Mississippi colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Gulfport MS can undertake a vast array of functions, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally about four to five years of prior experience is called for before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be earned in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you pick not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools
An alternative that you may have considered is selecting an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, distance learning may be a more practical option for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Gulfport MS are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
When you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Gulfport MS region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional factors that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational schools have received 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 an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Gulfport MS program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many 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 reviewing 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 could indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also signify that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also 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 produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Gulfport MS grads acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician trade programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Gulfport MS area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus 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 presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Gulfport MS electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Gulfport home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger 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 with a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Gulfport MS, check that the schools you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.
Electrician Education And Training Gulfport Mississippi
Picking the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Education And Training and wanting more information on the topic Education Needed To Become An Electrician. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training program that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each program provides different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Gulfport MS.
More Electric Locations in Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second-largest city in Mississippi after the state capital, Jackson. Along with Biloxi, Gulfport is the other county seat of Harrison County and the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area,[4] which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city of Gulfport had a total population of 67,793. It is also home to the US Navy Atlantic Fleet Seabees.[5]
This area was occupied by indigenous cultures for thousands of years, culminating in the historic Choctaw encountered by European explorers. Along the Gulf Coast, French colonists founded nearby Biloxi, and Mobile in the 18th century, well before the area was acquired from France by the United States in 1803 in the Louisiana Purchase. By the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the United States completed treaties to extinguish Choctaw and other tribal land claims and removed them to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. In that period, the other four of the Five Civilized Tribes in the Southeast were also removed, to make way for white settlers to take over the lands and develop them for agriculture, especially cotton.
An early settlement near this location, known as Mississippi City, appeared on a map of Mississippi from 1855.[6] Mississippi City was the county seat of Harrison County from 1841 to 1902, but is now a suburb in east Gulfport.[7][8]
Business Results 1 - 10 of 9
2 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 1 Reviews 1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 