How to Pick the Best Electrician Training School near Greenwood South Carolina
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Greenwood SC. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are a number of variables to evaluate. For example, some prospective students will start by looking for schools that are close to their home. After they have identified some that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the sole factors that need to be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are three general approaches to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Greenwood SC. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by South Carolina trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards those who would like to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to finish and are provided by South Carolina community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain South Carolina colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out before licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Greenwood SC can perform a multitude of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically around 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be obtained in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails 3 levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only provides 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 Online Programs
A possibility that you might have looked at is selecting an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, distance learning may be a more convenient option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Travelling expenses from Greenwood SC are also lessened and some of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Greenwood SC region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Greenwood SC program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a quality education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are considering 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 signify that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also suggest that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which can result in 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 field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Greenwood SC grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Greenwood SC area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment 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 trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Greenwood SC electrical company if they can provide some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Greenwood home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Greenwood SC, confirm that the programs you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Colleges For Electricians Greenwood South Carolina
Picking the right electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Colleges For Electricians and wanting more information on the topic Courses For Electricians. But as we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Greenwood SC.
More Electric Locations in South Carolina
Greenwood County, South Carolina
The rise of textile manufacturing in the New South altered the economy and society of the region. The first cotton mill in Greenwood opened in 1890 with 75 workers. When it nearly failed in 1908, James C. Self became president of Greenwood Cotton Mill and built one of the largest privately-held companies in the industry. Abney Mills, based in Greenwood, spread its production plants across the upstate.
Greenwood County was formed in 1897 from portions of Abbeville and Edgefield counties, which had originally been part of the old Ninety-Six District. It was named for its county seat, Greenwood. This had been named around 1824 after a plantation owned by John McGehee, an early resident. The area was developed largely for cotton plantations and was dependent on slave labor. It has continued to be agricultural in the 21st century.
The Great Depression altered the economy and landscape of Greenwood County. Farmers were impoverished, land values declined, local textile mills struggled to survive and to resist union efforts to organize the workers. After 1933, New Deal programs offered limited work relief for the unemployed. The largest New Deal project in the area was construction of Buzzard's Roost Dam on the Saluda River to impound Lake Greenwood and generate electricity in a county-owned power plant. Today the hydroelectric plant has been sold to Duke Power Company while the lake offers an array of recreational facilities.
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