How to Select the Right Electrician Trade School near Aliquippa Pennsylvania
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Aliquippa PA. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of factors to consider. For example, many prospective students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their home. After they have found some that are within driving range, they will decide on the one with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the only things that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are multiple ways to receive electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Aliquippa PA. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to finish and are offered by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be performed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Aliquippa PA can carry out a vast array of functions, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally about four to five years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be obtained in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails three levels of competency:
- 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 crucial that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Programs Online
A possibility that you may have contemplated is choosing an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more prevalent as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning might be a more convenient option for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Commuting expenses from Aliquippa PA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be available on line also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Aliquippa PA area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Aliquippa PA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It could also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which can mean 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 also that it has the network of contacts to assist Aliquippa PA students secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most 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 within their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Aliquippa PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Aliquippa PA electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Aliquippa residence. 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 get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Aliquippa PA, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Become A Licensed Electrician Aliquippa Pennsylvania
Selecting the right electrician training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Become A Licensed Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Technician Program. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program provides different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Aliquippa PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Aliquippa is a city in Beaver County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, located on the Ohio River in the western portions of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,438 at the 2010 census.
Aliquippa was founded by the merger of three towns: Aliquippa, Woodlawn,[3] and New Sheffield.[4][5] There is no known direct connection between Seneca Queen Aliquippa and the city; rather, "Aliquippa" was one of several Indian names selected arbitrarily by the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad in 1878 for stations along its route.[5] Aliquippa is best known as the location of a productive steel mill that the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company constructed there along the Ohio River beginning in 1905. Employment at the facility sustained a population of 27,023 in 1940.[5]
The mill closed during the collapse of the steel industry during the 1980s. This major economic loss alongside suburbanization caused a major population loss through the end of the 20th century. The oldest church within the current boundaries of Aliquippa is Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church (formerly White Oak Flats Presbyterian Church), established about 1793 in the New Sheffield region on Brodhead Road.[5] Many of the city's businesses have left since the closing of the mill. This has left the city economically depressed, with the crime rate dramatically rising over time.
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