How to Choose the Right Electrician Technical School near Plymouth Meeting Pennsylvania
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Plymouth Meeting PA. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are a number of variables to consider. For instance, some students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. When they have located a few that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the only factors that should be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your ultimate decision when picking an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options
There are several ways to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Plymouth Meeting PA. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. In many cases these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short explanations of the three most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards those who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve two years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Plymouth Meeting PA can undertake a vast array of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be acquired in various specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 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 crucial that the electrician tech school that you choose not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes
An option that you may have contemplated is choosing an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, internet learning might be a more accommodating choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Travelling costs from Plymouth Meeting PA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be available online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Plymouth Meeting PA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional factors that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Plymouth Meeting PA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire a quality education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools 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 lower completion rate may indicate that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It may also indicate that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Plymouth Meeting PA grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Plymouth Meeting PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Plymouth Meeting PA electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Plymouth Meeting residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to some of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Plymouth Meeting PA, check that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.
Electrical Training Certificate Plymouth Meeting Pennsylvania
Picking the right electrician trade school will probably 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 addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose 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 Plymouth Meeting PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania
The population of Plymouth Meeting was 6,177 in the 2010 census. Plymouth Meeting is home to the Colonial School District, the recently renovated Plymouth Meeting Mall and several large office parks and shopping centers. It was home to IKEA's U.S. headquarters.[3] The confluence of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276), the Blue Route (I-476) and the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-476) at the Mid-County Interchange occur in Plymouth Meeting. This interchange contributes to regional commerce and was a major driver for business and retail development.
The area was originally settled by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, who built the Plymouth Friends Meetinghouse in 1708. They sailed from Devonshire, England, on the ship Desire, arriving in Philadelphia on June 23, 1686. The settlement takes its name from the founders' hometown of Plymouth in Devon.
During the Revolutionary War, in May 1778, the Plymouth Friends Meetinghouse served as a temporary military hospital. General George Washington, then at Valley Forge, learned that a British force intended to seize the area and cut off movement of the Continental Army. He sent the Marquis de Lafayette and 2,100 troops to counter. They camped around the meetinghouse on the night before the May 19 Battle of Barren Hill. The next morning the British arrived with a massive force of 16,000, and tried to cut off any escape route. Lafayette instead took advantage of the Americans' knowledge of local roads, and escaped with minimal casualties.
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