How to Choose the Right Electrician Technical School near Strange Creek West Virginia
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Strange Creek WV. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to examine. For example, some prospective students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their home. When they have identified a few that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. Even though cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that need to be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your final judgment when choosing an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are three general ways to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Strange Creek WV. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the three most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by West Virginia trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require two years to complete and are offered by West Virginia community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain West Virginia colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Strange Creek WV can carry out a vast array of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be acquired in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online
An option that you might have looked at is selecting an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs 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 training programs require partial attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, internet learning can be a more convenient option for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Travelling expenses from Strange Creek WV are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be accessed on line also. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Once you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Strange Creek WV area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Strange Creek WV program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you obtain a superior education, it can assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it 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 of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also indicate that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which may result in 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 an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Strange Creek WV grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Strange Creek WV area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Strange Creek WV electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Strange Creek home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Strange Creek WV, check that the programs 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, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.
School To Be An Electrician Strange Creek West Virginia
Selecting the right electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in School To Be An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Industrial Electrical Courses. But as we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Strange Creek WV.
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