How to Pick the Right Electrician Technical School near Columbus Pennsylvania
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Columbus PA. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are a number of variables to evaluate. For example, some potential students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have located several that are within commuting distance, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. Even though cost and location are of importance, they are not the only factors that should be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are three general approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Columbus PA. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically offered by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Columbus PA can perform a multitude of functions, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring 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 differs by state, but normally about four to five years of practical experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be earned in various specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails 3 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you select not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online
A possibility that you might have contemplated is selecting an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning might be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Travelling costs from Columbus PA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be accessed on line also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Columbus PA region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature 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 as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Columbus PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you get an excellent education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, many 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 or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It could also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Columbus PA students secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Columbus PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area 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 using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Columbus PA electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Columbus residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Columbus PA, confirm that the programs you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Electrical Technician Training Columbus Pennsylvania
Picking the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Technician Training and wanting more information on the topic Colleges That Offer Electrician Programs. 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 looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Columbus PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
New Columbus, Pennsylvania
New Columbus was first settled in 1819. It was later incorporated as a borough in 1859. The community has not changed much since its founding; farming is still a major way of life for most of the borough.
It is a small farming town located in western Luzerne County (just south of Ricketts Glen State Park). There are small clusters of houses scattered throughout the borough; most of the community consists of farmland. Downtown New Columbus, which consists of a few homes and businesses, is located at the intersection of Old Tioga Turnpike and Academy Street. According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 3.1 square miles (7.9 km2), all of it land.
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 215 people, 86 households, and 63 families residing in the borough. The population density was 68.1 people per square mile (26.3/km2). There were 96 housing units at an average density of 30.4 per square mile (11.7/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 100.00% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.40% of the population.
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