How to Select the Best Electrician Tech School near Russellville Arkansas
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Russellville AR. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many factors to evaluate. For example, many prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. After they have located several that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the only things that need to be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are accessible.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options
There are multiple options to receive electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Russellville AR. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are brief explanations of the three most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Arkansas technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to complete and are offered by Arkansas community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some Arkansas colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer 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. For that reason, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Russellville AR can carry out a multitude of functions, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be earned in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 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) along with 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 academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
A possibility that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning might be a more accommodating choice for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Commuting costs from Russellville AR are also minimized and some of the study materials may be accessed on line also. Each of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Russellville AR area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial 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 research prior to choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Russellville AR school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you acquire an excellent education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It may also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Russellville AR students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Russellville AR area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Russellville AR electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Russellville home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Russellville AR, verify that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.
Education Required To Be An Electrician Russellville Arkansas
Selecting the right electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Education Required To Be An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Trade Schools. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each program offers different options for certification also. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Russellville AR.
More Electric Locations in Arkansas
Russellville, Arkansas
Russellville is the county seat and largest city in Pope County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 27,920, according to the 2010 Census. It is home to Arkansas Tech University and Arkansas Nuclear One, Arkansas' only nuclear power plant. Russellville borders Lake Dardanelle and the Arkansas River.
Before the town was named Russellville, it was known as Chactas Prairie, The Prairie, or Cactus Flats. In the early 19th century, Osage from Missouri hunted frequently in the valley where Russellville is located. Between 1818 and 1828, the area was within a Cherokee reservation, but after 1828 the Cherokee were removed to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), and the land became available for white settlement. The first settler in the area was P.C. Holledger in 1834.
One year later, Dr. Thomas Russell[4] bought Holledger's house. The first business to be established in the town was owned by Mr. Shinn, who later built a masonry structure to replace his wooden store in 1875. This building still exists today, and is known as the Shinn Building. It was built at the intersection of an east-west road from Little Rock to Fort Smith and a north-south buffalo trail to a ford on the Arkansas River. Early travelers used these established trails to pass through the valley. When the town's residents decided to name the town, it came down to two choices: Shinnville or Russellville, and Russellville won.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 2
1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 