How to Choose the Best Electrician Training School near Sandston Virginia
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Sandston VA. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are a number of points to evaluate. For example, some students will start by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have located some that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that must be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final decision when picking an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional options that are offered.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are several options to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Sandston VA. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. 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 want to become certified. Following are brief descriptions of the 3 most typical programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Virginia technical and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to complete and are offered by Virginia community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Virginia institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 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 Sandston VA can carry out a multitude of functions, 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 become licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally around four to five years of practical experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be acquired in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you choose not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online
A possibility that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools have become more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, internet learning can be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Travelling costs from Sandston VA are also lessened and some of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Sandston VA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional variables that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs 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 Sandston VA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive an excellent education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It could also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Sandston VA graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Sandston VA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Sandston VA electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Sandston home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Sandston VA, verify that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Electrical Certification Schools Sandston Virginia
Selecting the right electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Certification Schools and wanting more information on the topic Electrician School Near Me. But as we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides different options for certification also. Probably The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Sandston VA.
More Electric Locations in Virginia
Sandston, Virginia
During World War I, a number of homes were built in the area for both non-commissioned officers and enlisted men. After the war, an investment group headed by Oliver J. Sands bought the land and buildings as surplus property. The community was named Sandston after Oliver Sands, the president of the Richmond and Fairfield Railway, the electric street railway line which ran through Highland Springs and Fair Oaks to the National Cemetery at Seven Pines.
The community was later served by the Fairfield Transit Company, which operated a bus barn extant at Seven Pines in 2005 and the earlier trolley car barn in Richmond on North 29th Street. The road from Richmond, through Highland Springs, to Seven Pines was named "Nine Mile Road" because of the distance of the streetcar/trolley line.[1]
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