How to Choose the Best Electrician Technical School near Lakewood California
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Lakewood CA. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are a number of variables to consider. For instance, some prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have found some that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the only qualifications that should be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are offered.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are three general options to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Lakewood CA. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are short summaries of the three most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by California vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards those who would like to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to complete and are provided by California junior or 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 begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some California institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Lakewood CA can carry out a vast array of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around four to five years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails 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 trade school that you pick not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs
An option that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though 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. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning might be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Driving expenses from Lakewood CA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be available online also. Each of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Lakewood CA region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other variables that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade programs have earned 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 pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Lakewood CA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It could also suggest that the teachers 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 alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Lakewood CA graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught together 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 electrical businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Lakewood CA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Lakewood CA electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Lakewood home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Lakewood CA, confirm that the schools you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Become A Certified Electrician Lakewood California
Selecting the right electrician training program 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 Become A Certified Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Online Courses For Electrician. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you select is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Lakewood CA.
More Electric Locations in California
Lakewood, California
Lakewood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 80,048 at the 2010 census. It is bordered by Long Beach on the west and south, Bellflower on the north, Cerritos on the northeast, Cypress on the east, and Hawaiian Gardens on the southeast. Major thoroughfares include Lakewood (SR 19), Bellflower, and Del Amo Boulevards and Carson and South Streets. The San Gabriel River Freeway (I-605) runs through the city's eastern regions.
Sometimes called "an instant city" because of its origins, going from lima bean fields in 1950 to a well-developed city by 1960, Lakewood is a classic example of a post–World War II American suburb.
Lakewood is a post-World War II planned community.[9] Developers Louis Boyar, Mark Taper and Ben Weingart are credited with "altering forever the map of Southern California."[9] Begun in late 1949, the completion of the developers' plan in 1953 helped in the transformation of mass-produced housing from its early phases in the 1930s and 1940s to the reality of the 1950s.[9]
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