How to Choose the Right Electrician Vocational School near Mannington West Virginia
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Mannington WV. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many variables to consider. For example, some students will start by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have identified some that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that must be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional options that are available.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are three general ways to receive electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Mannington WV. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Bellow are brief descriptions of the 3 most prevalent programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by West Virginia trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who want to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take 2 years to finish and are offered by West Virginia community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain West Virginia institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Mannington WV can carry out a wide range of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually around four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be earned in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes 3 levels of competency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools
An option that you may have contemplated is choosing an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning might be a more convenient alternative for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Mannington WV are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be available online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Mannington WV area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program 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 chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have earned 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 pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Mannington WV school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you obtain a quality education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved 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 course. A lower completion rate might 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 imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Mannington WV grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Mannington WV area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing 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 equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Mannington WV electrical company if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Mannington home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their feedback regarding 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 have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Mannington WV, confirm that the programs you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.
School Of Electrical Education Mannington West Virginia
Choosing the best electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in School Of Electrical Education and wanting more information on the topic How Long Is Electrician School. But as we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Mannington WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
Mannington, West Virginia
Mannington is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States located in the hills of North-Central West Virginia. Known as Mannington since 1856, the town is rich with history and heritage – from Native American relics to frontiersmen and their settlements to Civil War legends. Perhaps what makes Mannington most unusual is the impact of the oil and gas boom in 1890 that literally changed the shape of the town. The population was 2,063 at the 2010 census.
At the time of the first settlement, the west fork of Buffalo Creek was known as Warrior’s Fork, while the North Fork has historically borne the name of Pyle's Fork. One of the first settlers in the area was John Ice, who was born in the valley of the South Branch of the Potomac River in what was then Virginia. As a child, Ice and his father searched in vain for his mother, two sisters and brother who had been captured by the Indians. The mother was never found, although the children ultimately were. Only John's brother, known from then on as "Indian Billy" returned to the family. The sisters chose to remain with their one time captors (Prichard 1983).
Indian activity was not uncommon in the area and many settlers and travelers met their fate at the hands of the Indians, including John Madison, the cousin of James Madison the future president, who was killed on a surveying trip in the area in 1783. Although not necessarily as a result of this, James Madison did procure, as an investment, some land on Brush Run and Pyles Fork just north of Forks of Buffalo.
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