How to Pick the Right Electrician Technical School near Reading Kansas
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Reading KS. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are so many points to consider. For instance, many prospective students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have found a few that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Although cost and location are significant, they are not the only qualifications that should be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your final judgment when selecting an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are three general ways to get electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Reading KS. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Kansas technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards students who wish to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to complete and are offered by Kansas junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Kansas colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed before licensing. Because of that, most students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Reading KS can undertake a multitude of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually around four to five years of experience is called for before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be acquired in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
A possibility that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools have become more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, internet learning can be a more convenient choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Reading KS are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
When you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Reading KS region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional factors that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Reading KS school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Also, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It could also suggest that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Reading KS graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician vocational programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Reading KS area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure 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 presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Reading KS electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Reading home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with some of the students and get their feedback 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 certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Reading KS, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.
I Want To Be An Electrician Reading Kansas
Choosing the right electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in I Want To Be An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Accredited Electrician Schools Online. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary 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 training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you select is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Reading KS.
More Electric Locations in Kansas
Reading, Kansas
For millennia, the land that is currently Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, the United States secured most of modern Kansas as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1854, Congress organized the Kansas Territory and in 1861, Kansas became the 34th state.
In 1863, by Act of Congress and similarly by an act of the State of Kansas, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway was granted 3,000,000 acres of Kansas land on the condition that it would build a continuous line to the western border of Kansas by March 1, 1873. On Oct. 30, 1868, construction began at Topeka. By Sept. 14, 1870, the first Santa Fe train reached Emporia, fifteen miles past the present site of Reading.[8] James Fagan, agent for the railroad lands, and T. J. Peter and M. S. Sargent, who represented the railroad interest, organized a town company, with James Fagan as president. The land was owned by McMann & Co., of Reading, Pennsylvania. The town was platted on sixty acres of Section 3, Township 18, Range 13, and called it Reading, after Reading, Pennsylvania. In summer 1870, the town site was surveyed.[9]
On May 21, 2011 around 9:15PM, an EF3 tornado hit Reading. It was three blocks wide and stayed on the ground for about four miles. The tornado destroyed at least 56 of 110 homes and 14 of 21 businesses. The post office and fire station suffered major damage. One person died and two were hospitalized. Early damage estimates topped $2.2 million.[12][13][14]
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