How to Choose the Best Electrician Vocational School near Lakeland Georgia
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Lakeland GA. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are so many variables to evaluate. For example, many students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have located several that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the sole qualifications that must be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are available.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are three general ways to obtain electrician training in a trade or technical school near Lakeland GA. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are brief descriptions of the 3 most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Georgia trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards students who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to finish and are offered by Georgia community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Georgia institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out before licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria
Electricians in Lakeland GA can undertake a vast array of services, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish him or herself 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 in most cases involves 3 levels of competency:
- 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 choose not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Schools
An option that you may have looked at is selecting an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning may be a more convenient option for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Travelling costs from Lakeland GA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
When you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Lakeland GA region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first two 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 a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are other factors that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess prior to selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have received 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 pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Lakeland GA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a superior education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Also, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It may also mean that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to use 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 trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Lakeland GA students acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Lakeland GA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain 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 tech you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Lakeland GA electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Lakeland residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive 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 observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk to several of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Lakeland GA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
Electrician Education And Training Lakeland Georgia
Selecting the ideal electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Education And Training and wanting more information on the topic Education Needed To Become An Electrician. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every program offers different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Lakeland GA.
More Electric Locations in Georgia
Lakeland, Georgia
Lakeland is a city in Lanier County, Georgia, United States. The city is the county seat of Lanier County.[4] It is part of the Valdosta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,730 at the 2000 census.
Originally called Alapaha and then Milltown or Mill Town, Lakeland received its current name in 1925 in honor of its proximity to Grand Bay Lake, Lake Irma, and Banks Lake.[5] For many years, Lakeland owned and operated its own railroad.
Numerous festivals are held in the county throughout each year, one of which is the Flatlanders Frolic Arts and Crafts Show. This event features bluegrass music, a road race and various other Labor Day weekend events. Also held in Lanier County is the Living Murals Celebration, held in the spring, and most recently the Georgia Deep Woods Deerfest, a festival featuring wild game suppers and firearms giveaways.
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