Online Electrician Certificate Programs Lafayette IN - Find Electrician Training Near You

How to Pick the Best Electrician Trade School near Lafayette Indiana

Lafayette IN electrician working on circuit board The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Lafayette IN. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are a number of factors to consider. For instance, some students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have identified several that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. Even though cost and location are significant, they are not the only qualifications that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your ultimate decision when picking an electrician training 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 training options that are accessible.

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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options

Lafayette IN electrician on power line pole There are three general approaches to get electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Lafayette IN. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are brief explanations of the three most common programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Indiana trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees involve two years to finish and are provided by Indiana junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Indiana colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be completed before licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites

Lafayette IN electrician wiring box Electricians in Lafayette IN can undertake a vast array of tasks, 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 generally about four to five years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be earned in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails three 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 crucial that the electrician trade school that you pick not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes

Lafayette IN student attending electrician school online A possibility that you might have contemplated is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, distance learning might be a more convenient choice for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Driving expenses from Lafayette IN are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Questions to ask Lafayette IN electrician schools Now that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Lafayette IN region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other variables that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have attained 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. Verify that the Lafayette IN program is 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 obtain a quality education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify 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 of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate could signify that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also mean that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, 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 affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Lafayette IN students acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Lafayette IN area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using 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 expecting. If not, ask a local Lafayette IN electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Lafayette residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Lafayette IN, verify that the programs you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, 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, illness or family responsibilities.

Online Electrician Certificate Programs Lafayette Indiana

Lafayette IN electricians working on power lines Choosing the best electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Online Electrician Certificate Programs and wanting more information on the topic What Do I Need To Do To Become An Electrician. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program provides different options for certification also. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Lafayette IN.