How to Pick the Best Electrician Trade School near Dover Kentucky
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Dover KY. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are so many points to evaluate. For instance, some prospective students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their home. When they have located some that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the sole things that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are multiple approaches to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Dover KY. You may 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. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Following are short summaries of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Kentucky vocational and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to finish and are offered by Kentucky junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Kentucky colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria
Electricians in Dover KY can carry out a wide range of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be acquired in many specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves three levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
An option that you may have considered is selecting an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs have become more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, internet learning might be a more accommodating option for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Dover KY are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Dover KY region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, 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 variables that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Dover KY program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a superior education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. 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 schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate might signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It may also mean that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, 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 a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Dover KY graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Dover KY area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using 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 Dover KY electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Dover residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can 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 difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Talk to a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Dover KY, confirm that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
Become Qualified Electrician Dover Kentucky
Selecting the right electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Become Qualified Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Training Schools. But as we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrical training that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every training program provides unique options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Dover KY.
More Electric Locations in Kentucky
Dover, Kentucky
The town of Dover was laid out by Arthur Fox Jr. in 1818 and possibly named for Dover, England, his father's hometown.[3] A post office was established at Dover in 1833.[4] Dover was incorporated in 1836.[5]
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 316 people, 115 households, and 93 families residing in the city. The population density was 640.8 people per square mile (249.0/km²). There were 124 housing units at an average density of 251.4 per square mile (97.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.15% White, 0.63% African American, 0.32% Native American, and 1.90% from two or more races.
There were 115 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 16.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.00.
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