How to Choose the Best Electrician Training School near Timberville Virginia
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Timberville VA. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to examine. For example, many students will start by searching for schools that are close to their home. When they have identified a few that are within commuting range, they will select the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the only qualifications that need to be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your final decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are offered.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are multiple options to get electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Timberville VA. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Virginia trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards students who wish to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve two years to complete and are provided by Virginia community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Virginia colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Timberville VA can carry out a multitude of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around four to five years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can 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 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 enroll in not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Schools Online
An alternative that you might have contemplated is selecting 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 needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning can be a more practical alternative for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting costs from Timberville VA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be available on line as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Timberville VA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other variables that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Timberville VA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order 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 or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate may indicate that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It might also mean that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Timberville VA students acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught together 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 contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Timberville VA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained 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, check with the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Timberville VA electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Timberville residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Timberville VA, verify that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.
Electrician Degree Requirements Timberville Virginia
Picking the ideal electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Degree Requirements and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Apprentice School. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Timberville VA.
More Electric Locations in Virginia
Timberville, Virginia
Timberville is a town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,522 at the 2010 census, which was a significant increase from the 1,739 reported in the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisonburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The primary roads providing access to Timberville are Virginia State Route 42 and Virginia State Route 211. SR 42 heads north and south, connecting to Virginia State Route 259 in Broadway to the south. To the north, SR 42 heads mostly through rural areas of southwestern Shenandoah County. SR 211 heads east from Timberville, connecting to Interstate 81 and U.S. Route 211 in New Market.
As of the census[3] of 2000, 1,739 people, 735 households, and 465 families resided in the town. The population density was 1,968.1 per square mile (763.0/km²). There were 770 housing units at an average density of 871.5 per square mile (337.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.35% White, 0.17% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 1.21% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.31% of the population. 30% of Timberville's residents were German, 11% English, 8% Irish, 3% Mexican, and 2% Dutch. Scotch-Irish, Italians, Russians, Scottish, French, Swiss, Polish, French Canadians and Yugoslavians each constituted 1% of the population.[7]
Business Results 1 - 10 of 10
2 Reviews 1 Reviews 
26 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
7 Reviews 