How to Choose the Right Electrician Vocational School near Kenova West Virginia
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Kenova WV. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are so many points to evaluate. For example, some students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have identified a few that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the only qualifications that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should help mold your final judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are several ways to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Kenova WV. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the 3 most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by West Virginia trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards students who wish to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to finish and are offered by West Virginia junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain West Virginia colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Kenova WV can perform a vast array of duties, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually around 4 to 5 years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be obtained in various specializations, such as 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 important that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only delivers 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.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
A possibility that you may have looked at is selecting an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools have become more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more convenient option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Travelling expenses from Kenova WV are also minimized and some of the study materials may be available on line also. Each of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Kenova WV region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first two that we talked about 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 chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other factors that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Kenova WV school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a quality education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently 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 training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate may indicate that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It could also indicate that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Kenova WV graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Kenova WV area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus 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 expecting. If not, ask a local Kenova WV electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Kenova residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving 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 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 see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk to a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Kenova WV, confirm that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.
How Can I Become An Electrician Kenova West Virginia
Picking the best electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in How Can I Become An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Education Needed To Be An Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their own 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. Programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides unique options for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Kenova WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
Kenova, West Virginia
Kenova is a city in Wayne County, West Virginia, at the confluence of the Ohio and Big Sandy Rivers. Located near a tristate border, the city's name is a portmanteau of Kentucky, Ohio, and Virginia (Va).[6] Founded in 1859 but not incorporated until 1894, the town's early history and development was centered on the railroad industry. It is home to a major Norfolk Southern Ohio River Bridge. CSX Transportation's former Chesapeake and Ohio Kanawha Subdivision travels through the town as well.
The population was 3,216 at the 2010 census. Kenova is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 census, the MSA had a population of 287,702. New definitions from February 28, 2013 placed the population at 363,000.[7]
The city is also near the site of the Southern Airways Flight 932 aviation disaster. In 1970, a plane carrying the Marshall University football team crashed on a hillside on approach to the Tri-State Airport, killing all on board. A movie about the tragedy, We Are Marshall, was released in 2006.
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