How to Select the Best Electrician Technical School near Massapequa New York
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Massapequa NY. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are so many points to examine. For example, some potential students will start by searching for schools that are close to their home. When they have identified some that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though cost and location are important, they are not the sole qualifications that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are available.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are several ways to get electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Massapequa NY. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Bellow are brief summaries of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by New York technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require two years to finish and are offered by New York junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain New York institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be performed prior to licensing. Because of that, most students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Massapequa NY can perform a vast array of duties, such as installing, replacing and testing 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 states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally around four to five years of prior experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be acquired in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you pick not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online
An option that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning might be a more convenient option for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting expenses from Massapequa NY are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available online also. Each of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Once you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Massapequa NY area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. 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 decision, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Massapequa NY school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a superior education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It could also indicate that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Massapequa NY grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Massapequa NY area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form 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 on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Massapequa NY electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Massapequa residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to a few of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Massapequa NY, verify that the programs you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Top Electrician Schools Online Massapequa New York
Selecting the right electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Top Electrician Schools Online and wanting more information on the topic How Long To Become An Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training program that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Massapequa NY.
More Electric Locations in New York
Massapequa, New York
Massapequa (/mæsəˈpiːkwə/, mass-ə-PEEK-wə) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the southern part of the Town of Oyster Bay in southeastern Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, east of New York City. It is adjacent to Amityville in Suffolk County. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 21,685. Including Massapequa Park, the total Massapequa area population is 38,951. It is serviced by the Massapequa Station on the Long Island Rail Road.
A 19th-century writer identified Massapequa as one of the "13 tribes of Long Island," but additional research has shown that they were a band of Lenape, the Algonquian-speaking people who occupied the western part of the island at the time of European encounter. The bands were identified by names of the geographic areas they occupied.
The Native Americans to the east spoke a different Algonquian language and were related to the Pequot people of Connecticut and southern New England, another in the large Algonquian languages family of tribes in coastal areas along the Atlantic Ocean. Major bands of Pequot in eastern Long Island were the Montaukett and Shinnecock. Today the Shinnecock Indian Nation has gained federal recognition and has a reservation on the South Shore of Long Island.
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