How to Select the Right Electrician Technical School near Ravenswood West Virginia
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Ravenswood WV. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of variables to evaluate. For example, many potential students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have identified several that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important, they are not the only things that should be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are offered.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are multiple ways to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Ravenswood WV. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Frequently these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most typical programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by West Virginia technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards those who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by West Virginia community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain West Virginia colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out prior to licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Ravenswood WV can undertake a multitude of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is required in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be obtained in several specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes 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) 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 solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online
An alternative that you might have looked at is selecting an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation 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 balance of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning can be a more practical alternative for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Travelling expenses from Ravenswood WV are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Now that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Ravenswood WV region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Ravenswood WV school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you acquire an excellent education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order 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 percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It could also suggest that the teachers were not competent 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 broader directory of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Ravenswood WV students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Ravenswood WV area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Ravenswood WV electrical company if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Ravenswood residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Ravenswood WV, check that the schools you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Electrical College Ravenswood West Virginia
Picking the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical College and wanting more information on the topic Online Electrical Certificate Programs. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Ravenswood WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
Ravenswood, West Virginia
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 3,876 people, 1,657 households, and 1,061 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,118.0 inhabitants per square mile (817.8/km2). There were 1,807 housing units at an average density of 987.4 per square mile (381.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.4% White, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.
There were 1,657 households of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.0% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.90.
The median age in the city was 42.4 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.4% were from 25 to 44; 23.9% were from 45 to 64; and 23.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.
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