How to Find the Best Electrician Tech School near Portland Pennsylvania
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Portland PA. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are a number of points to evaluate. For example, many potential students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have found a few that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the sole things that should be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your final judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are available.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options
There are several ways to obtain electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Portland PA. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are short summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards those who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Pennsylvania institutions, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in Portland PA can perform a multitude of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually around four to five years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually 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 identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be earned in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you pick not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools
An option that you may have looked at is selecting an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning may be a more convenient choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Driving expenses from Portland PA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online also. Each of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Now that you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Portland PA area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Portland PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you get an excellent education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it 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 percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might indicate that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It may also signify that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Portland PA students obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical 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 inside their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Portland PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Portland PA electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Portland home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with some of the students and get their opinions relating to 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 assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Portland PA, check that the programs you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.
Become Qualified Electrician Portland Pennsylvania
Choosing the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Become Qualified Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Training Schools. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your short 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 certain that you are confident that the school you select is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Portland PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Portland, Pennsylvania
Portland is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Portland is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt. It is located on the border with New Jersey.[3]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2), of which, 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (8.93%) is water.
Portland was settled because of the logging trade and what buildings were here in the early 19th century came as a result of this industry. It served to increase at least one business – that of the taverns and hotels. Records show that the Hibblertown Hotel (present Ackerson house on State Street), the Dill’s Tavern (oldest tavern, was located on the south side of Emery’s, now torn down) and the What Cheer Inn (present Duckloe Showroom at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Main Street) all prospered because of loggers.
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