How to Select the Best Electrician Trade School near Valley Stream New York
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Valley Stream NY. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of points to evaluate. For example, some students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their residence. After they have found some that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the least expensive tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the only factors that should be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are available.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are three general ways to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Valley Stream NY. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief descriptions of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by New York trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards those who wish to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are offered by New York junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain New York colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Valley Stream NY can carry out a multitude of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around 4 to 5 years of experience is called for before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be acquired in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes 3 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician tech school that you select not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
An option that you might have contemplated is choosing an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more accommodating option for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Driving costs from Valley Stream NY are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
When you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Valley Stream NY area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain 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. Make certain that the Valley Stream NY school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing 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 signify that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It might also mean that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to utilize 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 industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Valley Stream NY students secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician technical programs are taught together 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 electrical contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Valley Stream NY area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure 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 specialist you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Valley Stream NY electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Valley Stream residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Valley Stream NY, check that the schools you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Electrical Trade Schools Valley Stream New York
Selecting the right electrical training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Trade Schools and wanting more information on the topic Vocational School Electrician. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers unique options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Valley Stream NY.
More Electric Locations in New York
Valley Stream, New York
The incorporated Village of Valley Stream is inside the southwest part of the town of Hempstead, along the border with Queens. The village is served by the Long Island Rail Road at the Valley Stream station, located at Sunrise Highway and Franklin Avenue. It is also served by the Gibson station at Gibson and Munro boulevards, but only along the Far Rockaway Branch.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), of which 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2), or 0.86%, is water.
In the year 1640, 14 years after the arrival of Dutch colonists in Manhattan (New Amsterdam), the area that is now Valley Stream was purchased by the Dutch West India Company from Rockaway Native Americans (they were a Lenape, or Delaware, band, known by the place where they lived).
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