How to Find the Best Electrician Technical School near Southaven Mississippi
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Southaven MS. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are a number of points to evaluate. For example, many prospective students will start by looking for schools that are close to their home. When they have found a few that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. Even though cost and location are significant, they are not the sole 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 qualifications should help mold your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are three general approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Southaven MS. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Frequently these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Following are short explanations of the three most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Mississippi trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Mississippi junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Mississippi institutions, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Southaven MS can perform a multitude of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be obtained in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves 3 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you choose not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
An alternative that you may have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs 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 some attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more accommodating option for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting expenses from Southaven MS are also reduced and some of the study materials may be accessed online as well. All of these benefits 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.
Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Southaven MS area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we discussed 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 while all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are additional factors that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Southaven MS 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 acquire a superior education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate might indicate that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It could also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Southaven MS grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Southaven MS area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Southaven MS electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Southaven home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized 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 instructors and students. Speak to some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Southaven MS, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
Online Electrical Classes Southaven Mississippi
Selecting the right electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Online Electrical Classes and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Course Cost. But as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician training that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Southaven MS.
More Electric Locations in Mississippi
Southaven, Mississippi
Southaven is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. It is a principal city in Greater Memphis. The 2010 census reported a population of 48,982,[4] making Southaven the third-largest city in Mississippi and the second most populous suburb of Memphis.[6] Southaven is traversed from north to south by the I-55/I-69 freeway. The city's name derives from the fact that Southaven is located south of Whitehaven, a neighborhood in Memphis.
Southaven began as a village when Memphis homebuilder Kemmons Wilson (founder of Holiday Inn) wished to develop a few residential subdivisions featuring small starter homes just across the Mississippi border from Whitehaven, Tennessee, an unincorporated suburb of Memphis. Whitehaven was eventually annexed by Memphis. Officially incorporated in 1980, Southaven is one of the fastest-growing cities in the southeastern United States.[citation needed] In just 20 years, Southaven doubled its land area, while its population tripled.
The construction of Interstate 55 through Southaven in the 1970s helped to promote growth and make for easier access to the city from Memphis, Jackson, St. Louis, and Chicago. Interstate 69, which will eventually run from Canada to Mexico, was cosigned with I-55 in Southaven in 2007.[7]
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