How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Trade School near Hattiesburg Mississippi
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Hattiesburg MS. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many variables to evaluate. For instance, many potential students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have located a few that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are several approaches to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Hattiesburg MS. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are short summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Mississippi trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who would like to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take 2 years to complete and are offered by Mississippi junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Mississippi institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be completed before licensing. Therefore, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Hattiesburg MS can undertake a multitude of functions, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about four to five years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be earned in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually 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 enroll in not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams 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 online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning might be a more practical option for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Driving expenses from Hattiesburg MS are also lessened and some of the study materials may be accessed online as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Since there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Hattiesburg MS region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial two 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 crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Hattiesburg MS school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved 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 complete the program. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also signify that the instructors were not competent to train 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 directory of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ 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 field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Hattiesburg MS students acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Hattiesburg MS area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Hattiesburg MS electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Hattiesburg residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Hattiesburg MS, confirm that the programs you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Education For Electrician Hattiesburg Mississippi
Choosing the best electrician trade school 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 Education For Electrician and wanting more information on the topic I Want To Become An Electrician. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician training that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the teachers and students. 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 ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Hattiesburg MS.
More Electric Locations in Mississippi
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat)[3] and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 45,989 at the 2010 census,[4] with an estimated population of 46,805 in 2015.[5] It is the principal city of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses Forrest, Lamar and Perry counties.
Development of the interior of Mississippi by European Americans took place primarily after the American Civil War. Before that time, only properties along the major rivers were developed as plantations. Founded in 1882 by civil engineer William H. Hardy, Hattiesburg was named in honor of Hardy's wife Hattie. The town was incorporated two years later with a population of 400. Hattiesburg's population first expanded as a center of the lumber and railroad industries, from which was derived the nickname "The Hub City". It now attracts newcomers because of the diversity of its economy, strong neighborhoods, and the central location in South Mississippi.
Hattiesburg is home to The University of Southern Mississippi (founded as Mississippi Normal College, for the training of teachers) and William Carey University (formerly William Carey College). South of Hattiesburg is Camp Shelby, the largest US National Guard training base east of the Mississippi River.
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