How to Pick the Right Electrician Tech School near Oreland Pennsylvania
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Oreland PA. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are so many variables to examine. For example, many prospective students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have found a few that are within driving range, they will decide on the one with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole factors that should be examined. 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 picking an electrician school. We will address 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 instructional options that are offered.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are several approaches to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Oreland PA. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the three most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards those who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Pennsylvania institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Oreland PA can undertake a wide range of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly around 4 to 5 years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be obtained in several specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves 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 important that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools
A possibility that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more practical choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Travelling costs from Oreland PA are also reduced and some of the study materials may be accessed online also. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Now that you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Oreland PA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Oreland 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. Along with helping make certain that you receive a superior education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, some states require that the electrician training course 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 program. A low completion rate might indicate that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It might also signify that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Oreland PA students obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Oreland PA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Oreland PA electrical contractor if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Oreland home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized 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 students and instructors. Talk to several of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Oreland PA, check that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Electrical Vocational School Oreland Pennsylvania
Selecting the right electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Vocational School and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Schools Online. But as we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides unique options for certification also. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend 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 final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Oreland PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Oreland, Pennsylvania
Oreland is a United States census-designated place (CDP) in Springfield and Upper Dublin townships, just outside the Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy areas of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Oreland has a ZIP code of 19075, and the population was 5,678 at the 2010 census.
In 1686, Thomas Fitzwater discovered vast lime deposits on his land in Oreland. He erected a kiln to process it, which by 1693 had attracted the attention of William Penn. Penn ordered a highway built from the port of the Delaware River to the kiln. Named Limekiln Pike, and still in existence today, it was one of the first roads in the area. These lime deposits and the ore deposits also found in the area gave Oreland its name. Mining and farming would dominate Oreland's economy until the 20th century, when Oreland transformed into a residential suburb of Philadelphia, as it remains today.
The village of Oreland was not laid out until 1889 near the North Penn Railroad running along the east side of town (currently SEPTA's Lansdale/Doylestown Line). The Plymouth Railroad ran from Conshohocken to Oreland through Plymouth and Flourtown. The tracks were mostly removed in the 1980s. The path where the trains used to run begins northeast of the Oreland Station Apartments, next to Ehrenpfort Road, and runs southwest towards Flourtown. The actual tracks, which still connect to SEPTA's Lansdale/Doylestown Line, end near the corner of Montgomery Avenue and Lyster Road. The path continues all the way to Flourtown, although in the 1990s the path was cut at Oreland Mill Road by housing built on both sides. The remainder of the path today is used primarily by children, runners and bikers.
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