How to Select the Right Electrician Technical School near Harrison New York
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Harrison NY. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are a number of points to evaluate. For instance, some potential students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their home. After they have located some that are within driving range, they will select the one with the least expensive tuition. Although cost and location are significant, they are not the only qualifications that must be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your final judgment when picking an electrician school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are offered.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are several ways to obtain electrician training in a trade or technical school near Harrison NY. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Bellow are brief summaries of the 3 most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by New York technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards those who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to complete and are provided by New York community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some New York institutions, 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 4 years be completed before licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Harrison NY can perform a multitude of tasks, 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 become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around four to five years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be earned in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you select not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs
A possibility that you might have considered is choosing an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, distance learning might be a more convenient choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Driving costs from Harrison NY are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be available on line also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
When you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Harrison NY area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to 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 taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to research prior to selecting an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Harrison NY school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, some states require that the electrician training course 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 complete the program. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It could also signify that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may produce 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 trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Harrison NY grads acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Harrison NY area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained 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 looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Harrison NY electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Harrison home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with several of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Harrison NY, check that the programs you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Electrician School Harrison New York
Selecting the right electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician School and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Tech Schools. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Harrison NY.
More Electric Locations in New York
Harrison, New York
Harrison is a coterminous town-village located in Westchester County, New York, approximately 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Manhattan. The population was 27,472 at the 2010 census.[4] Harrison was ranked sixth in the list of the top 10 places to live in New York State for 2014 according to the national online real estate brokerage Movoto.[5]
Harrison was established in 1696 by a patent granted by the British government to John Harrison and three others, who had a year earlier bargained with local Native Americans to purchase an area of land above Westchester Path (an old trail that led from Manhattan to Port Chester) and below Rye Lake.[7] Local custom holds that Harrison was given 24 hours to ride his horse around the area he could claim, and the horse couldn't swim or didn't want to get its feet wet, but this is folklore.[8] In fact, the land below Westchester Path and along Long Island Sound had already been purchased and partly developed by the settlers of Rye, NY.
The area that became Harrison had also been sold in 1661 or 1662, and again in 1666, to Peter Disbrow, John Budd, and other investors or early residents of Rye.[9] Disbrow and Budd evidently lost their paperwork and the land was ultimately granted to Harrison and his co-investors in 1696. So upset were the people of Rye that they seceded to the Colony of Connecticut until 1700, when the King of England ordered Rye to rejoin the Colony of New York.[10]
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