How to Choose the Best Electrician Trade School near Lake Placid Florida
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Lake Placid FL. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many points to consider. For example, some students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have located some that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the sole qualifications that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will cover 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 educational choices that are available.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are three general ways to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Lake Placid FL. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Following are brief explanations of the three most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Florida trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to complete and are provided by Florida junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Florida institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Lake Placid FL can perform a vast array of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally around four to five years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be obtained in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 3 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you pick not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
An alternative that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs have become more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, internet learning can be a more practical alternative for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Driving expenses from Lake Placid FL are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Lake Placid FL region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other factors that must be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Lake Placid FL school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it can assist in securing financial assistance 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 qualify 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 percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It may also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train 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 list of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to employ 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 industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Lake Placid FL graduates 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 vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Lake Placid FL area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained 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, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Lake Placid FL electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Lake Placid residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may 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 sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Lake Placid FL, check that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Electric College Lake Placid Florida
Picking the ideal electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electric College and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Programs Online. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Lake Placid FL.
More Electric Locations in Florida
Lake Placid, Florida
Lake Placid is a town in Highlands County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,223 and in 2017 the estimated population was 2,269.[5] It is part of the Sebring Micropolitan Statistical Area.
The town has two nicknames: "Town of Murals" and "The Caladium Capital of the World". Lake Placid has 47 murals painted on buildings throughout the town,[7] and 98 percent of the world's caladium bulbs come from Lake Placid.[8] There are 14 calladium farms, spanning 1,200 acres, and these plants have been grown in the area since the 1940s.[9] In 2013, Reader's Digest named Lake Placid America's Most Interesting Town. [10][11]
The town is home to the Lake Placid Tower, a closed concrete block observation tower that is 240 feet (73 m) tall according to early sources[12] or 270 feet (82 m) tall according to late sources.[13] However, government sources exclude a 270-foot height, allowing only a 240-foot height.[14][15]
Business Results 1 - 10 of 12
1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 