How to Pick the Best Electrician Training School near Ashford West Virginia
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Ashford WV. But with so many technical 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 evaluate. For instance, some potential students will start by searching for schools that are close to their home. After they have found some that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole factors that must be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your final judgment when choosing an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are several approaches to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Ashford WV. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the three most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by West Virginia technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to finish and are provided by West Virginia community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some West Virginia institutions, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Ashford WV can perform a vast array of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing 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 most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be acquired in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you select not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online
An option that you may have considered is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning can be a more accommodating alternative for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Travelling costs from Ashford WV are also lessened and some of the study materials may be accessed online also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
When you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Ashford WV area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other variables that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Ashford WV school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved 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 suggest that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It could also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which may 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 an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Ashford WV students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade 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 within their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Ashford WV area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Ashford WV electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Ashford residence. Remember that if you decide to attend 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 desirable 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 big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to some of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Ashford WV, check that the programs you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Electrician Vocational School Ashford West Virginia
Selecting the best electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Vocational School and wanting more information on the topic Train To Become An Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training program that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Ashford WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
Beckley, West Virginia
Beckley is a city in and the county seat of Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States. It was founded on April 4, 1838.[6] Beckley was named in honor of John James Beckley, who was the first Clerk of the House of Representatives and the first Librarian of Congress. It was founded by his son, Alfred Beckley (US Army general and Confederate militia commander), who was from the District of Columbia. The current mayor is Rob Rappold.[7]
Although founded in 1838, Beckley existed only on paper at that time, "Alfred Beckley said he "was frequently jeered and laughed at for his Paper Town..."[8] Early in its history, the town was known as Beckley, Raleigh Court House, and, occasionally, Beckleyville. The town was originally located in Fayette County, Virginia. In 1850 the act of the Virginia legislature creating Raleigh County named Beckley the county seat. The city is sometimes called the "Smokeless Coal Capital", "The City of Champions" and the "Gateway To Southern West Virginia."[citation needed] Beckley had the first "community antenna" television system in the United States, a forerunner of cable television.[citation needed]
During the presidential primaries of 1960, the vehicles of rivals John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey stopped at the same streetcorner in Beckley. Recognizing each other, the two men got out and chatted briefly.[9]
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