How to Enroll in the Right Electrician Technical School near Depauw Indiana
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Depauw IN. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are a number of variables to consider. For instance, some potential students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have found several that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the only things that need to be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement 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 post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are multiple ways to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Depauw IN. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are short summaries of the three most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Indiana trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards those who want to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are provided by Indiana junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Indiana institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out before licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in Depauw IN can carry out a wide range of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly around four to five years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be obtained in various specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails 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 vocational school that you choose not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Schools Online
A possibility that you might have considered is choosing an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, internet learning might be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Driving expenses from Depauw IN are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be available online as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Training Schools
When you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Depauw IN region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research before selecting an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Depauw IN program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you acquire a quality education, it can assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate might signify that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It may also indicate that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can mean 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 also that it has the network of contacts to assist Depauw IN graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Depauw IN area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Depauw IN electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Depauw residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Depauw IN, confirm that the programs you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Study Electrician Depauw Indiana
Selecting the ideal electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Study Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Classes. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers unique options for certification also. Probably The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak 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 school you pick is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Depauw IN.
More Electric Locations in Indiana
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, is a private liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,300 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association and the North Coast Athletic Conference. The Society of Professional Journalists was founded at DePauw.
Indiana Asbury University was founded in 1837 in Greencastle, Indiana, and was named after Francis Asbury, the first American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The people of Greencastle raised $25,000, equivalent to around $500,000 in 2007 terms, to entice the Methodists to found the college in Greencastle, which was little more than a village at the time. It was originally established as an all men's school, but began admitting women in 1867.[citation needed]
In 1884 Indiana Asbury University changed its name to DePauw University in honor of Washington C. DePauw, who made a sequence of substantial donations throughout the 1870s, which culminated in his largest single donation that established the School of Music during 1884.[8] Before his death in 1887, DePauw donated over $600,000 to Indiana Asbury, equal to around $13 million in 2007. In 2002, the school received the largest-ever gift to a liberal arts college, $128 million by the Holton family.
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