How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Trade School near Santa Clarita California
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Santa Clarita CA. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many variables to evaluate. For instance, many potential students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have identified several that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the only things that must be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are offered.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are multiple approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Santa Clarita CA. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are brief descriptions of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by California technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards students who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to finish and are offered by California community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some California colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Santa Clarita CA can carry out a wide range of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about four to five years of practical experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be obtained in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves three 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online
An option that you might have contemplated is choosing an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case 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 balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more accommodating alternative for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting expenses from Santa Clarita CA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Santa Clarita CA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Santa Clarita CA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of 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 looking at 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 may indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also indicate that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory 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 a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Santa Clarita CA graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Santa Clarita CA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to form 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 working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Santa Clarita CA electrical company if they can provide some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Santa Clarita residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition charges 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 bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Santa Clarita CA, verify that the programs you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.
How To Learn To Be An Electrician Santa Clarita California
Choosing the best electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in How To Learn To Be An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Education. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides different options for certification also. Probably The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you choose is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Santa Clarita CA.
More Electric Locations in California
Santa Clarita, California
Santa Clarita, officially the City of Santa Clarita, is the third largest city in Los Angeles County, California, and the 24th largest in the state of California.[6] The city has annexed a number of unincorporated areas, contributing to the large population increase. It is located about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles, and occupies most of the Santa Clarita Valley. It is a notable example of a U.S. edge city or boomburb. Santa Clarita was ranked by Money magazine in 2006 as 18th of the top 100 places to live.[9]
Santa Clarita was incorporated in December 1987 as the union of four unincorporated communities, Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus, and Valencia, most of which are situated on the land of the former Rancho San Francisco.[10] The four communities retain separate identities, and it is common for residents to refer to a specific neighborhood when asked where they are from. Santa Clarita is bounded on the west by the Golden State Freeway (I-5). The Antelope Valley Freeway (SR-14) runs northeast-southwest through an irregular east border, and the Newhall Pass is the city's southernmost point.
Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park and Stevenson Ranch are both commonly associated with Santa Clarita, though since both are located west of Interstate 5, neither is actually within the Santa Clarita city limits.
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