How to Select the Best Electrician Trade School near Sidney Ohio
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Sidney OH. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many points to examine. For instance, some prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their home. When they have located a few that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the lowest tuition. Even though cost and location are important, they are not the only things that need to be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when picking an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are offered.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are multiple approaches to get electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Sidney OH. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Frequently these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Following are brief explanations of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Ohio trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to complete and are provided by Ohio junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Ohio 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 4 years be completed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Sidney OH can carry out a multitude of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually around 4 to 5 years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional method for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be earned in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails 3 levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you choose not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online
An option that you may have looked at is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more convenient choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Driving costs from Sidney OH are also lessened and some of the study materials can be accessed online also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Now that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Sidney OH area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other variables that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Sidney OH school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you obtain a quality education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many 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 looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It might also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list 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 confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Sidney OH students obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Sidney OH area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Sidney OH electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Sidney home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Sidney OH, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.
Become A Qualified Electrician Sidney Ohio
Picking the best electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Become A Qualified Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Classes Online. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world context, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you select is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Sidney OH.
More Electric Locations in Ohio
Sidney, Ohio
Sidney is a city in Shelby County, Ohio, United States approximately 36 mi (58 km) north of Dayton and 100 mi (161 km) south of Toledo. The population was 21,229 at the 2010 census. It is named after English poet Sir Philip Sidney and is the county seat of Shelby County.[6] As well, many of the city's elementary schools are also named after famous writers, such as Emerson, Longfellow and Whittier. Sidney was the recipient of the 1964 All-America City Award. In 2009, it was the subject of the documentary film 45365.[7]
Sidney is home to the 1881 Second Empire courthouse; the 1877 Gothic revival Monumental Building, dedicated to the county's Civil War dead; the 1918 early-modern People's Federal Savings and Loan Association designed by influential architect Louis Sullivan, which has been designated a National Historic Landmark, and the "smallest house in Sidney" on Shelby Street.
The Big Four Bridge is a local landmark that has carried rail traffic since 1923. CSX Transportation uses the rail line and bridge as part of the "NYC" division of Conrail, a direct descendant of the New York Central Railroad and Penn Central Transportation. CSX also operates the north-south rail line, which was better known in earlier years as the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and later as the Chessie System.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 11
1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
1 Reviews 1 Reviews 
8 Reviews 