Accredited Electrician Training Programs Montgomery PA - Find Electrician Training Near You

How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Trade School near Montgomery Pennsylvania

Montgomery PA electrician working on circuit board The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Montgomery PA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are so many variables to examine. For example, some students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their home. After they have identified a few that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant, they are not the only factors that need to be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final decision when picking an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are accessible.

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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs

Montgomery PA electrician on power line pole There are multiple approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Montgomery PA. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most common programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards students who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require 2 years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Pennsylvania institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be completed before licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements

Montgomery PA electrician wiring box Electricians in Montgomery PA can perform a vast array of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be obtained in various specialties, including 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 agencies 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 choose not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Schools

Montgomery PA student attending electrician school online An alternative that you might have considered 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 situation they are not totally internet based. Pretty much 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 can be a more convenient option for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Travelling expenses from Montgomery PA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed online also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Questions to ask Montgomery PA electrician schools When you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Montgomery PA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must 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 taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Montgomery PA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it 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 lower completion rate may signify that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It might also suggest that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Montgomery PA students secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Montgomery PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained 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, check with the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Montgomery PA electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Montgomery residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging 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 students and instructors. Talk to several of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Montgomery PA, verify that the programs you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Accredited Electrician Training Programs Montgomery Pennsylvania

Montgomery PA electricians working on power lines Picking the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Accredited Electrician Training Programs and wanting more information on the topic Industrial Electrician Training Online. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Montgomery PA.

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Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Montgomery County, locally also referred to as Montco, is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the 71st most populous in the United States. As of 2017, the census-estimated population of the county was 826,075, representing a 3.3% increase from the 799,884 residents enumerated in the 2010 census.[1] Montgomery County is located adjacent to and northwest of Philadelphia. The county seat is Norristown.[2] Montgomery County is geographically diverse, ranging from farms and open land in the extreme north of the county to densely populated suburban neighborhoods in the southern and central portions of the county.

Montgomery County is included in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, known as the Delaware Valley. The county marks part of the Delaware Valley's northern border with the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. In 2010, Montgomery County was the 51st wealthiest county in the country by median household income. In 2008, the county was named the 9th Best Place to Raise a Family by Forbes.[3]

The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part of Philadelphia County. The first courthouse was housed in the Barley Sheaf Inn. It is believed to have been named either for Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, or for the Welsh county of Montgomeryshire (which was named after one of William the Conqueror's main counselors, Roger de Montgomerie), as it was part of the Welsh Tract, an area of Pennsylvania settled by Quakers from Wales.[4] Early histories of the county indicate the origin of the county's name as uncertain.