How to Pick the Right Electrician Vocational School near Fort Wainwright Alaska
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Fort Wainwright AK. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many factors to consider. For example, some students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have identified some that are within commuting range, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that should be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are multiple options to obtain electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Fort Wainwright AK. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three options. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Following are brief explanations of the three most typical programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by Alaska technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to finish and are offered by Alaska community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Alaska institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Fort Wainwright AK can undertake a multitude of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about 4 to 5 years of experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes 3 levels of proficiency:
- 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 crucial that the electrician tech school that you choose not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online
A possibility that you might have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning might be a more practical choice for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Commuting expenses from Fort Wainwright AK are also minimized and some of the study materials may be available online also. All of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Once you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Because there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Fort Wainwright AK area, it’s imperative 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 must be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research before choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Fort Wainwright AK school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you receive a superior education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It might also signify that the instructors 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 more extensive directory of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Fort Wainwright AK graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Fort Wainwright AK area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure 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 in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Fort Wainwright AK electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Fort Wainwright home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with some of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors 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 assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Fort Wainwright AK, verify that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Train To Be An Electrician Fort Wainwright Alaska
Selecting the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Train To Be An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Schools That Offer Electrician Training. But as we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every program provides unique options for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Fort Wainwright AK.
More Electric Locations in Alaska
Fort Wainwright
Fort Wainwright is a United States Army post adjacent to Fairbanks in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. Since 1978 Fort Wainwright has been investigating and cleaning up soil and water contamination from a landfill and drum burial site, fuel terminal, coal storage yard/fire training pits, open detonation area and underground storage tanks. It was Superfund-listed in 1990.
Ft. Wainwright was first established in 1939 as the U.S. Army Air Corps Ladd Field. In 1947 it was transferred to the newly established U.S. Air Force and renamed Ladd AFB, serving as a cold weather station to test aircraft under arctic conditions. In 1961 it was transferred to the Army and redesignated Fort Wainwright in honor of World War II general Jonathan Wainwright. From 1963 to 1972 it was home to the 171st Infantry Brigade, mechanized until 1969, then light. During that time, the 172nd Infantry Brigade was at Fort Richardson, in Anchorage. From 1986 to 1998 Fort Wainwright was the home of the 6th Infantry Division (Light), and served as the division's headquarters from 1990 to 1994. From 1998 to 2006, it was home to the 172nd Infantry Brigade, which was reorganized in 2003 as the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), part of the U.S. Army's transition program to include six SBCTs. In 2006, the 172nd was re-flagged as the 1st brigade of the 25th Infantry Division. Fort Wainwright was also the home of Task Force 49, an aviation brigade that provides logistical air support for U.S. Army Alaska, Bassett Army Community Hospital and the Bureau of Land Management's Alaska Fire Service which later transformed to become a part of 16th Combat Aviation Brigade with headquarters at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA in 2010 with duty in Alaska.
Since 1978 Fort Wainwright has been participating in the Department of Defense Installation Restoration Program to investigate and clean up contamination. In 1985 and 1986, lead and chromium were detected in monitoring wells at the landfill; in 1987, chromium and tetrahydrofuran were detected in monitoring wells at the proposed housing area, and chromium was detected in soil.[1] About 15,000 people live and work at the fort and obtain drinking water from wells in close proximity to contaminated source areas. The Chena River also runs through the contaminated area of Fort Wainwright.[1]
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