How to Pick the Best Electrician Technical School near Lafayette Florida
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Lafayette FL. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are so many variables to evaluate. For example, some prospective students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have found several that are within commuting distance, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant, they are not the sole factors that need to be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final judgment when selecting an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in more 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 offered.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are several ways to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Lafayette FL. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are short explanations of the 3 most typical programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Florida technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards students who wish to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to complete and are offered by Florida junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Florida colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Lafayette FL can perform a vast array of services, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be acquired in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 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 imperative that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
A possibility that you might have considered is choosing an online electrician 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 instance they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning can be a more convenient choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Travelling expenses from Lafayette FL are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
When you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Because there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Lafayette FL region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other factors that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Lafayette FL school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate might indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It could also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to use 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 also that it has the network of contacts to assist Lafayette FL graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Lafayette FL area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Lafayette FL electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Lafayette residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few 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 attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Lafayette FL, confirm that the programs you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.
Electrical Training School Lafayette Florida
Picking the ideal electrician trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Training School and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Education And Training Requirements. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world context, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides different options for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you select is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Lafayette FL.
More Electric Locations in Florida
Lake Lafayette
Originally known as Prairie Lake, Lake Lafayette is the remnant of a Pleistocene river delta.[1] Water levels receded in the last Ice Age and the coast moved farther south of the site which became a river valley and eventual a tributary of the St. Marks River. Dissolution processes culminated in the formation of a large basin, 8,925 acres (36.12 km2), a major sinkhole is located in Upper Lake Lafayette just South of the Cody Scarp.
The Lake Lafayette Basin is considered to be one of the premier paleoarchaelological sites in Florida.[1] The lake area is surrounded by archaeological sites. A large number of Native American mounds surround the lake; one excavated mound is currently displayed at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The large middens on Lake Piney Z, and the Temple Mounds at Fallschase, are of particular interest. Native American settlements are common in the Lafayette Basin and Hernando de Soto spent the first Christmas in the New World at one of these sites.
The early settlers of Leon County called Lake Lafayette 'Prairie Lake' as it looked much like a prairie during droughts. The lake took its name from the Lafayette land grant, the township (36-square-mile tract) on the north and east side of Tallahassee that was granted by the US Congress in 1824 to General Lafayette in gratitude for his military services in the American Revolutionary War.
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