What Education Do You Need To Be An Electrician Lakeview SC

How to Select the Right Electrician Vocational School near Lakeview South Carolina

Lakeview SC electrician working on circuit board The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Lakeview SC. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are so many points to evaluate. For instance, many prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. When they have found a few that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate decision when picking an electrician school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.

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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs

Lakeview SC electrician on power line pole There are several ways to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Lakeview SC. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are brief explanations of the three most typical programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by South Carolina trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards those who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees involve 2 years to finish and are provided by South Carolina junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain South Carolina colleges, but are less preferred 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 completed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Lakeview SC electrician wiring box Electricians in Lakeview SC can carry out a vast array 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 most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about four to five years of prior experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically assess electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be acquired in many specializations, 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may need to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online

Lakeview SC student attending electrician school online An option that you might have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not entirely 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 can be attended online, internet learning can be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Travelling expenses from Lakeview SC are also lessened and some of the study materials can be available on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Questions to ask Lakeview SC electrician schools Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Lakeview SC area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Lakeview SC school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive a quality education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states require 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 percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate could signify that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It may also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which may 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 an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Lakeview SC grads secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Lakeview SC area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional 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 working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Lakeview SC electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Lakeview residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can 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 challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Lakeview SC, check that the programs you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.

What Education Do You Need To Be An Electrician Lakeview South Carolina

Lakeview SC electricians working on power lines Picking the best electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in What Education Do You Need To Be An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Vocational School. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Lakeview SC.