How to Select the Best Electrician Training School near Braddock Pennsylvania
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Braddock PA. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many variables to consider. For example, some prospective students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have located several that are within driving range, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole things that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are offered.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are multiple options to get electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Braddock PA. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require two years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less popular at four 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 performed prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Braddock PA can carry out a wide range of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about four to five years of experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be obtained in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Schools Online
An alternative that you might have contemplated is choosing an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning may be a more convenient option for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Driving expenses from Braddock PA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be available online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Braddock PA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, 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 before choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Braddock PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a superior education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Also, some 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 percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It may also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may produce 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 industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Braddock PA students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Braddock PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Braddock PA electrical company if they can provide some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within driving distance of your Braddock residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be higher 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 larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Braddock PA, confirm that the schools you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.
Online Electrical Training Courses Braddock Pennsylvania
Picking the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Online Electrical Training Courses and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Technical Schools. But as we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best approach to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Braddock PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Braddock, Pennsylvania
Braddock is a borough located in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 10 miles (16 km) upstream from the mouth of the Monongahela River. The population was 2,159 at the 2010 census. The borough is represented by the Pennsylvania State Senate's 45th district, the Pennsylvania House of Representative's 34th district, and Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.
The town is named for General Edward Braddock (1695–1755).[3] The Braddock Expedition, particularly his crossing of the Monongahela River on July 9, 1755 at this place, led to the British general's own fatal wounding and a sound defeat of his troops who had been moving against the French at Fort Duquesne. This battle, now called the Battle of the Monongahela, was a key event at the beginning of the French and Indian War.
The area surrounding Braddock's Field was originally inhabited by the Lenape, ruled by Queen Allequippa.[4] In 1742, John Fraser and his family established the area at the mouth of Turtle Creek as the first permanent English settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains.[4]George Washington visited the area in 1753-1754. It was the site of Braddock's Defeat on July 9, 1755.
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