How to Choose the Right Electrician Vocational School near Hanover Virginia
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Hanover VA. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many variables to evaluate. For example, many prospective students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have located several that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though cost and location are important, they are not the only 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 qualifiers should influence your final judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are several options to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Hanover VA. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the three most typical programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Virginia trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take 2 years to complete and are provided by Virginia junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Virginia colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Hanover VA can undertake a wide range of functions, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be obtained in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves three 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you choose not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online
An alternative that you might have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, distance learning might be a more practical alternative for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus many online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Driving costs from Hanover VA are also lessened and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Since there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Hanover VA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Hanover VA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a quality education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training program 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 program. A lower completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It could also mean that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Hanover VA students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Hanover VA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Hanover VA electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Hanover home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications 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 go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Hanover VA, check that the schools you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure 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 issues.
How Long To Become Electrician Hanover Virginia
Choosing the best electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in How Long To Become Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Private Electrician Courses. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you select is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Hanover VA.
More Electric Locations in Virginia
Hanover County, Virginia
Located in the western Tidewater region of Virginia, Hanover County was created on November 26, 1719, from the area of New Kent County called St. Paul's Parish. It was named for the Electorate of Hanover in Germany, because King George I of Great Britain was Elector of Hanover at the time. The county was developed by planters moving west from the Virginia tidewater, where soils had been exhausted by tobacco monoculture.
Hanover County was the birthplace and home of noted American statesman Patrick Henry. He reportedly married Sarah Shelton in the parlor of her family's house, Rural Plains, also known as Shelton House. At the Hanover Courthouse, Henry argued the case of the Parson's Cause in 1763, attacking the British Crown's attempt to set the salaries of clergy in the colony regardless of conditions in the local economy. The historic Hanover Courthouse is pictured in the county seal. Hanover County was also the birthplace of Henry Clay, who became known as a politician in Kentucky, author of the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and Secretary of State.
The Chickahominy River forms the border of the county in the Mechanicsville area. During the American Civil War and the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, the Union Army approached the river and could hear the bells of Richmond's churches. But they learned that the river was a major obstacle. Union General George B. McClellan failed in his attempt to get all his troops across it, intending to overwhelm the outnumbered Confederate forces defending Richmond. His failure to take Richmond has been said to have prolonged the war by almost 3 years. Hanover County was the site of Civil War battles due to its location between Richmond and northern Virginia, including the Seven Days Battles of the Peninsula Campaign and Battle of Cold Harbor in 1864.[3]
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