How to Select the Best Electrician Vocational School near New Freedom Pennsylvania
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near New Freedom PA. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are so many points to evaluate. For example, many prospective students will start by looking for schools that are close to their home. When they have identified several that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the sole factors that should be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are three general approaches to obtain electrician training in a vocational or trade school near New Freedom PA. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Bellow are short summaries of the three most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards those who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Pennsylvania community colleges, usually 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 Degrees are accessible at certain Pennsylvania institutions, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be carried out before licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in New Freedom PA can carry out a vast array of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about four to five years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually test electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be acquired in many specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Schools Online
An option that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs are becoming 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 partial attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning can be a more accommodating alternative for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Travelling expenses from New Freedom PA are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Now that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the New Freedom PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the New Freedom PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. 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 training programs you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate may indicate that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It might also indicate 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 broader list of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist New Freedom PA grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with New Freedom PA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date 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 under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local New Freedom PA electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your New Freedom home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized training 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 big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to a few of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near New Freedom PA, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.
Best Electrician Schools New Freedom Pennsylvania
Selecting the ideal electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Best Electrician Schools and wanting more information on the topic How Many Years Of College To Be An Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world context, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each training program offers unique options for certification also. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. 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 best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in New Freedom PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
New Freedom, Pennsylvania
New Freedom is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the borough had a population of 4,464.[3] Once an industrial/railroad town, the community has evolved into a mostly residential town.
New Freedom Borough is located in the southern portion of York County, Pennsylvania. The borough borders the Mason-Dixon line and was incorporated in 1873. Originally named “Freedom” for the Free family, there was another town already in existence with that name, so New Freedom was chosen as the official name.[4]
People of German, English, and Scotch-Irish descent settled the area. The rich, fertile soil provided a comfortable living for farming and agricultural opportunities. Summers Canning Company operated in the town for years, canning the freshest harvests and then shipping the final products. Summers Canning Company was sold to Hanover Foods in 1984.[5] A mural depicting scenes from the Summers Canning Company is displayed on a building along the York County Heritage Rail Trail.
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