How to Find the Right Electrician Vocational School near Hartsville Tennessee
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Hartsville TN. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are a number of variables to consider. For example, many potential students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have located a few that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the only things that should be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are accessible.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are multiple ways to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Hartsville TN. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are brief descriptions of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Tennessee trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by Tennessee community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Tennessee colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines
Electricians in Hartsville TN can perform a vast array of duties, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually around 4 to 5 years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be obtained in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 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 crucial that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Training Classes
A possibility that you may have looked at is choosing an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, distance learning can be a more convenient option for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Travelling expenses from Hartsville TN are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be available online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Hartsville TN region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Hartsville TN program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you obtain a superior education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, a number of states require that the electrician training course 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 complete the program. A low completion rate might indicate that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It could also mean that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Hartsville TN grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician trade programs are taught along 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 trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Hartsville TN area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus 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 presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Hartsville TN electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Hartsville residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one instruction 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 experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to some of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Hartsville TN, confirm that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
I Want To Be An Electrician Hartsville Tennessee
Picking the ideal electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in I Want To Be An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Accredited Electrician Schools Online. But as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical training program that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each program provides different options for certification also. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to go to 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 school you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Hartsville TN.
More Electric Locations in Tennessee
Hartsville, Tennessee
Hartsville is a town in Trousdale County, Tennessee, United States. It is the county seat of Trousdale County,[4] with which it shares a consolidated city-county government. The population of Hartsville was 2,369 as of 2010.[5]
Hartsville now shares with Trousdale County a consolidated city-county government by virtue of a referendum which passed in Trousdale County in 2000.[6] Despite the city-county government, under Tennessee law, Hartsville is also considered to be a distinct municipality.[7] Trousdale County High School is located here, as well a Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology campus operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. Trousdale County is one of two counties in Tennessee to have legalized parimutuel betting on horse racing, but no group has ever stepped forward to build a racetrack.[8] Hartsville is located slightly north of the Cumberland River and is approximately fifty miles northeast of Nashville.
In 1977, the Tennessee Valley Authority began construction on the Hartsville Nuclear Plant, but cancelled the project in 1984 after spending nearly $2 billion.[9] The plant's unused cooling tower dominates the view south from State Route 25 between Smith County and Trousdale County.
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