How to Find the Best Electrician Technical School near Neptune Beach Florida
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Neptune Beach FL. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are so many variables to consider. For example, some potential students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their home. When they have identified several that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are of importance, they are not the only factors that should be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final decision when picking an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional options that are available.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options
There are several approaches to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Neptune Beach FL. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Bellow are brief descriptions of the three most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Florida technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are offered by Florida community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Florida colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Neptune Beach FL can carry out a wide range of tasks, including 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 the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. 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 him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be obtained in several specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails three 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 crucial that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online
An option that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning might be a more accommodating option for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting costs from Neptune Beach FL are also lessened and some of the study materials can be available online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
When you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Since there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Neptune Beach FL region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to research before selecting an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Neptune Beach FL program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get a superior education, it can assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states require 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 or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate could signify that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which can produce 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 a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Neptune Beach FL grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Neptune Beach FL area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Neptune Beach FL electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Neptune Beach residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher 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 larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with some of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Neptune Beach FL, confirm that the programs you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.
Electrical Technician Program Neptune Beach Florida
Selecting the right electrical 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 Technician Program and wanting more information on the topic Top Electrician Schools Online. But as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every program provides different options for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you select is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Neptune Beach FL.
More Electric Locations in Florida
Neptune Beach, Florida
Neptune Beach is a beachfront city east of Jacksonville in Duval County, Florida, United States. When the majority of Duval County communities consolidated with Jacksonville in 1968, Neptune Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Baldwin remained quasi-independent. Like those other towns, it maintains its own municipal government but its residents vote in the Jacksonville mayoral election and are represented on the Jacksonville city council. The population was 7,037 at the 2010 census.[5] Neptune Beach is part of the Jacksonville Beaches community.
Neptune Beach was originally part of Jacksonville Beach. Through its development, the part of Jacksonville Beach north of 20th Avenue North was sparsely populated, with a brick road (First Street) connecting the more populated southern area with Atlantic Beach. The name "Neptune Beach" originated in 1922 with Dan G. Wheeler, one of the few residents. Wheeler had a home at what is now One Ocean Hotel (now in Atlantic Beach), and had to walk all the way home from Mayport each evening after taking the Florida East Coast Railway train home from work in Jacksonville. A friend who worked for the railroad informed Wheeler that if he had a station, the train would have to stop for him, so Wheeler built his own train station near his home and named it Neptune.
Neptune seceded from Jacksonville Beach and incorporated as its own municipality in 1931, following a tax revolt. The comparatively few residents of the area were largely cut off from Jacksonville Beach city services such as police, fire, garbage collection, and road developments, though they paid taxes in equal share. The first mayor was O. O. McCollum, and the government met in Wheeler's old train station until a new town hall was completed in 1935.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 55
24 Reviews 
12 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
15 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
8 Reviews 1 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
27 Reviews 
1 Reviews 