How to Choose the Best Electrician Tech School near Cass West Virginia
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Cass WV. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of points to examine. For instance, some students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have identified some that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications 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 picking an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are offered.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options
There are several ways to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Cass WV. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are short explanations of the 3 most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by West Virginia technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are offered by West Virginia community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain West Virginia colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed before licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in Cass WV can perform a vast array of services, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around four to five years of practical experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails three 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you choose not only provides a strong educational 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 Online Programs
An option that you may have contemplated is choosing an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools have become more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more practical choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Driving expenses from Cass WV are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be available online as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Cass WV area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other variables that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Cass WV program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of 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 looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Cass WV students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Cass WV area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area 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 currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Cass WV electrical company if they can provide some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Cass residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one 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 students and instructors. Speak to some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Cass WV, check that the programs you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Become Licensed Electrician Cass West Virginia
Selecting the right electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Become Licensed Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Courses Night School. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides unique options for certification also. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to attend 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 proper training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Cass WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
It consists of the Cass Scenic Railroad, an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railroad that is owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.
Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime.
In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain. The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached to the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as 'Spruce'. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor's office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.
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