How to Choose the Best Electrician Tech School near Thomaston Connecticut
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Thomaston CT. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many variables to evaluate. For instance, some students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have found some that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole things that should be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your final judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are accessible.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are multiple options to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Thomaston CT. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Connecticut vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards students who would like to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by Connecticut community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Connecticut institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Thomaston CT can perform a multitude of duties, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around four to five years of experience is called for before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in several specializations, such as 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 agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you choose not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
An option that you may have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more practical choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Travelling expenses from Thomaston CT are also reduced and some of the study materials may be available online as well. Each of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Thomaston CT area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are other variables that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs 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 an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Thomaston CT school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you get a quality education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate may suggest that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It might also mean that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly important 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 can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Thomaston CT grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Thomaston CT area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Thomaston CT electrical company if they can provide some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Thomaston home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to some of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Thomaston CT, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.
Accredited Electrician Certification Training Thomaston Connecticut
Choosing the ideal electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Accredited Electrician Certification Training and wanting more information on the topic Online Electrician Certificate Programs. But as we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrician training that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Thomaston CT.
More Electric Locations in Connecticut
Thomaston, Connecticut
Thomaston is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,887 at the 2010 census. The urban center of the town is the Thomaston census-designated place, with a population of 1,910 at the 2010 census.[4]
The town, originally part of Plymouth, Connecticut, and referred to as 'Plymouth Hollow' was first settled by Henry Cook ("the soldier in the wilderness," 1683–1750) around 1728.[5][6] The town is known for clockmaking, which started in 1803, when Eli Terry established a factory in the town. Terry brought mass production to the clockmaking industry, helping to reduce the cost of clocks. He introduced and patented the shelf clock in 1814,[5] which reduced the cost of a clock from $25 to $5. His clocks were sold throughout the US.[5] It was incorporated in its own right and under the name "Thomaston" in 1875.[7] The name derives from Seth Thomas, the early clockmaker, who established a factory in town in 1812.[8][7] The Seth Thomas clock factory building still exists; however, the clockmaking industry has long since left the state as well as the country.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total size of 12.2 square miles (31.7 km²). 12.0 square miles (31.1 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.
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