How to Enroll in the Right Electrician Trade School near Providence Forge Virginia
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Providence Forge VA. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many variables to evaluate. For example, many students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have found a few that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that must be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are available.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are several options to get electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Providence Forge VA. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as common as the other three options. In many cases these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are short summaries of the 3 most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Virginia trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards those who would like to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are offered by Virginia community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Virginia institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria
Electricians in Providence Forge VA can undertake a multitude of services, including 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 required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally about four to five years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be earned in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes 3 levels of proficiency:
- 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 trade school that you select not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
An alternative that you may have looked at is choosing an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, distance learning may be a more convenient option for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Driving expenses from Providence Forge VA are also lessened and some of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Now that you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Providence Forge VA area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional factors that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Providence Forge VA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you get a superior education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Also, some 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also indicate that the teachers 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 more extensive list of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Providence Forge VA grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Providence Forge VA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Providence Forge VA electrical company if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Providence Forge residence. Remember that if you decide to attend 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 desirable that you get as much personalized instruction 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 teachers and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Providence Forge VA, confirm that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Train To Become An Electrician Providence Forge Virginia
Selecting the right electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Train To Become An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Diploma Online. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to attend some 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, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Providence Forge VA.
More Electric Locations in Virginia
Providence Forge, Virginia
Providence Forge is an unincorporated community in New Kent County, Virginia, United States. It was one of the earliest settlements in the county (itself formed by 1654) and the site of a colonial iron forge that was destroyed by British General Banastre Tarleton during the American Revolutionary War.
Nearby, the Chickahominy River separates New Kent from Charles City County. U.S. Route 60 and State Route 155 pass through Providence Forge. The Colonial Downs horse-racing facility is located nearby adjacent to the Providence Forge exit of Interstate 64.
A station on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) was located at Providence Forge in 1881 during construction of the railroad's new Peninsula Subdivision, which was built primarily to facilitate transportation of West Virginia bituminous coal to the newly created city of Newport News. There, on the harbor of Hampton Roads, coal piers were built to load colliers for worldwide export shipment.[1]
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