How to Find the Best Electrician Tech School near Purcellville Virginia
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Purcellville VA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are a number of variables to consider. For example, many potential students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. After they have identified a few that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are important, they are not the sole qualifications that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional options that are accessible.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are multiple ways to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near Purcellville VA. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically offered by Virginia vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to complete and are offered by Virginia community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Virginia institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out before licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Purcellville VA can undertake a wide range of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be earned in several specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves 3 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 imperative that the electrician trade school that you pick not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
A possibility that you might have contemplated is selecting an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more practical option for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Driving expenses from Purcellville VA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be available online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
When you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Purcellville VA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Purcellville VA 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 guarantee that you acquire a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states mandate 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 program. A low completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Purcellville VA students acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Purcellville VA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school 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 currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Purcellville VA electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Purcellville home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can 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 bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to some of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors 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 meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Purcellville VA, check that the programs you are reviewing 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, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.
Advanced Electrical Training Purcellville Virginia
Selecting the right electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Advanced Electrical Training and wanting more information on the topic Online Courses Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrical training program that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each 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 current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program provides unique options for certification as well. Probably The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Purcellville VA.
More Electric Locations in Virginia
Purcellville, Virginia
Purcellville is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States. The population was 9,232 according to the United States Census 2015 Population Estimate (as of July 1, 2015). Purcellville is the major population center for Western Loudoun and the Loudoun Valley. Today[update], many of the older structures remaining in Purcellville reflect the Victorian architecture popular during the early 20th century. Patrick Henry College is located in the town.
Although the first land grant in the area was issued by Lord Fairfax in 1740, it was not until 1764 that Purcellville's first known settler, James Dillon from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, arrived. The early ox cart track which wound westward from Leesburg towards the Blue Ridge, known later as the "Great Road," served as the town's nucleus, although farms existed in the area, and Ketoctin Baptist Church had been founded nearby by 1752. The first recorded business, an ordinary (a combined store and inn), was established by Abraham Vickers in 1799. This was followed by a second ordinary, established by Stacey Taylor in 1804, and later by "Purcel's Store" and Post Office, established by Valentine Vernon Purcell (from whom the town's name is derived). A blacksmith's shop, established around 1848, was also among Purcellville's earliest businesses. On July 9, 1853 the village officially adopted the name Purcellville [5]
The Great Road became an authorized turnpike in 1785 and extended the turnpike system westward from Alexandria to Snickers Gap, and beyond to Berryville and Winchester.[6] With the construction of this Turnpike in 1832, travel through Purcellville began to increase and the first stagecoach arrived in 1841. A railroad link on the Alexandria, Loudoun, and Hampshire line (forerunner to the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad) connecting the town to Leesburg and points east was built prior to the Civil War, and travel to points further west were continued by stagecoach through Purcellville.
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