How to Enroll in the Right Electrician Trade School near Easton Pennsylvania
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Easton PA. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are a number of variables to consider. For instance, some prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have found several that are within driving range, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the only factors that need to be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are available.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are multiple ways to get electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Easton PA. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three options. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the 3 most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Pennsylvania trade and technical schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly 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 previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines
Electricians in Easton PA can undertake a vast array of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes 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 differs by state, but normally around four to five years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be earned in many specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 3 levels of competency:
- 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 important that the electrician vocational school that you pick not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools
An alternative that you may have considered is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest 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 numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Commuting expenses from Easton PA are also minimized and some of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
When you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Easton PA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Easton PA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you get a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate may indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It could also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Easton PA graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Easton PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional 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 presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Easton PA electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Easton residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with several of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Easton PA, verify that the programs you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Electrical Training Certificate Easton Pennsylvania
Picking the right electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Training Certificate and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Courses Online. But as we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrical training program that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to sit in on some 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 proper training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Easton PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in and the county seat of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States.[3] The city's population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census.[4] Easton is located at the confluence of the Delaware River and the Lehigh River, roughly 55 miles (89 km) north of Philadelphia and 70 miles (110 km) west of New York City.
Easton is the easternmost city in the Lehigh Valley, a region of 731 square miles (1,893 km2) that is home to more than 800,000 people. Together with Allentown and Bethlehem, the Valley embraces the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metropolitan area, including Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon counties within Pennsylvania, and Warren County in the adjacent state of New Jersey. Easton is the smallest of the three Lehigh Valley cities, with approximately one-fourth of the population of the largest Lehigh Valley city, Allentown. In turn, this metropolitan area comprises Pennsylvania's third-largest metropolitan area and the state's largest and most populous contribution to the greater New York City metropolitan area.
The city is split up into four sections: Historic Downtown, which lies directly to the north of the Lehigh River, to the west of the Delaware River, continuing west to Sixth Street; The West Ward, which lies between Sixth and Fifteenth Streets; The South Side, which lies south of the Lehigh River; and College Hill, a neighborhood on the hills to the north of downtown, which is the home of Lafayette College, a liberal arts and engineering institution. The boroughs of Wilson, West Easton, and Glendon are also directly adjacent to the city; the first and largest of which, Wilson, partially aligns in the same North-South Grid as the city of Easton.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 146
4 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
7 Reviews 
5 Reviews 
14 Reviews 
9 Reviews 