How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Vocational School near Lawrenceville New Jersey
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Lawrenceville NJ. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many points to examine. For instance, many students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have located several that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the only factors that should be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician training school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are available.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are several ways to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Lawrenceville NJ. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are short summaries of the 3 most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by New Jersey vocational and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards those who want to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take two years to complete and are provided by New Jersey junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some New Jersey institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Lawrenceville NJ can carry out a multitude of functions, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be acquired in several specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails 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 crucial that the electrician trade school that you select not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online
A possibility that you might have looked at is choosing an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, internet learning may be a more practical choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Travelling costs from Lawrenceville NJ are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician 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 Technical Schools
Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Lawrenceville NJ 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 are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional factors that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Lawrenceville NJ school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you get a superior education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training course 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 complete the course. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It might also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to utilize 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 industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Lawrenceville NJ students secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Lawrenceville NJ area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional 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, consult with the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Lawrenceville NJ electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Lawrenceville residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving 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 larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to some of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm 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 Lawrenceville NJ, check that the programs you are reviewing offer 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 issues.
Commercial Electrician Training Lawrenceville New Jersey
Selecting the ideal electrician training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Commercial Electrician Training and wanting more information on the topic Online Electrical Classes. But as we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification as well. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Lawrenceville NJ.
More Electric Locations in New Jersey
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Lawrenceville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Lawrence Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States.[7][8][9] As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP's population was 3,887.[3] Lawrenceville is located roughly halfway between Princeton and Trenton.
Lawrenceville is also known as the "village of Lawrenceville".[10] Its core is the Main Street Historic District, which was listed in the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places in 1972, one of the first registered historic districts in New Jersey.[11]
Lawrenceville was founded as Maidenhead in 1697, as part of Burlington County in the colony of West Jersey. In 1714, the village became a part of Hunterdon County. In 1798, the New Jersey Legislature legally incorporated the Township of Maidenhead.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 310
3 Reviews 
10 Reviews 1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
10 Reviews 
94 Reviews 
16 Reviews 
7 Reviews 
10 Reviews 
5 Reviews 