How to Choose the Best Electrician Training School near Damascus Ohio
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Damascus OH. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are so many variables to evaluate. For example, many students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have located several that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that must be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are offered.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are several options to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Damascus OH. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Ohio vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to finish and are offered by Ohio junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Ohio colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Damascus OH can perform a wide range of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be acquired in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online
An alternative that you may have considered is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning might be a more practical choice for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting costs from Damascus OH are also lessened and some of the study materials can be available online as well. Each of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Damascus OH area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs 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 relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Damascus OH 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 obtain an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It could also mean that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Damascus OH graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction 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 electrical contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Damascus OH area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus 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 already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Damascus OH electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Damascus home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to some of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Damascus OH, check that the schools you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.
How Long To Become A Electrician Damascus Ohio
Selecting the ideal electrical trade school 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 How Long To Become A Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Training Near Me. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Damascus OH.
More Electric Locations in Ohio
Damascus, Ohio
Damascus is a census-designated place (CDP) in southwestern Goshen Township in Mahoning County and northwestern Butler Township in Columbiana County in the U.S. state of Ohio.[2][3] As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 443.[4] Damascus has a post office, with the ZIP code of 44619.[5] The Mahoning County portion of Damascus is part of the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Columbiana County portion is part of the Salem, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 21
1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 