How to Choose the Right Electrician Vocational School near Oaks Pennsylvania
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Oaks PA. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are so many points to consider. For instance, many prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have identified a few that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though cost and location are significant, they are not the only things that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are multiple approaches to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Oaks PA. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are brief summaries of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards those who would like to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Pennsylvania community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Oaks PA can undertake a vast array of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be acquired in various specialties, such as 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 agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you pick not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Schools
An option that you may have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning might be a more practical alternative for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting costs from Oaks PA are also lessened and some of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Oaks PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Oaks PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you acquire a quality education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate might suggest that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can mean 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 a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Oaks PA students secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade 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 contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Oaks PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Oaks PA electrical company if they can provide some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Oaks home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation 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 training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with a few of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Oaks PA, verify that the programs you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
Electrical Technician Degree Oaks Pennsylvania
Choosing the best electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Technician Degree and wanting more information on the topic Become Qualified 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 looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every training program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Oaks PA.
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