How to Select the Best Electrician Trade School near Cottageville West Virginia
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Cottageville WV. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to examine. For example, some students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their residence. When they have found some that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though location and cost are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that must be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate decision when picking an electrician school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk 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 Options
There are several options to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Cottageville WV. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are brief explanations of the three most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by West Virginia vocational and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards students who wish to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to complete and are provided by West Virginia community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some West Virginia institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Cottageville WV can carry out a vast array of duties, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly about four to five years of prior experience is called for before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be earned in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure 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 important that the electrician trade school that you select not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
An option that you might have contemplated is choosing an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to 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 can be attended online, distance learning may be a more convenient alternative for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Travelling costs from Cottageville WV are also minimized and some of the study materials may be available online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Now that you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Cottageville WV area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria 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 online degree, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of 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. Verify that the Cottageville WV program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may indicate that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also suggest that the teachers were not competent 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 more extensive list of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Cottageville WV grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Cottageville WV area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed 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, talk to the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Cottageville WV electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Cottageville home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Talk to some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Cottageville WV, verify that the programs you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Schooling For Electricians Cottageville West Virginia
Picking the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Schooling For Electricians and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Training Programs. But as we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Cottageville WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
West Virginia Route 331
West Virginia Route 331 (WV 331) is an east–west state highway located entirely in Jackson County, West Virginia. The western terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 2 and West Virginia Route 62 in Mount Alto. The eastern terminus is at WV 62 near Cottageville.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 6
2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 