How to Choose the Best Electrician Trade School near Wilton Connecticut
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Wilton CT. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are so many factors to examine. For example, many potential students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have identified some that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Although cost and location are of importance, they are not the only things that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are available.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are multiple approaches to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Wilton CT. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available 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 be licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the 3 most prevalent programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Connecticut trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Connecticut community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Connecticut colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Wilton CT can carry out a multitude of functions, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually around four to five years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually test electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be earned in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually 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 imperative that the electrician tech school that you select not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools
A possibility that you might have contemplated is selecting an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more practical alternative for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Wilton CT are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be available online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
When you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Since there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Wilton CT area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first 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 although all three qualifiers may be critical 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 analyze before choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational 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 pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Wilton CT program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order 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 of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It could also indicate that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Wilton CT grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Wilton CT area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained 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 specialist you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Wilton CT electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Wilton residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with several of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Wilton CT, confirm that the programs you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.
School For Electrician Wilton Connecticut
Picking the right electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in School For Electrician and wanting more information on the topic School To Be An Electrician. But as we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical training program that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides different options for certification as well. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Wilton CT.
More Electric Locations in Connecticut
Wilton, Connecticut
Officially recognized as a parish in 1726, Wilton is today, like many other Fairfield County towns, an expensive residential community with open lands (a testament to its colonial farming roots), historic architecture such as the Round House and antique colonial homes, as well as extensive town services.[4][5] A little more than an hour from New York City, residents commonly commute there and to Stamford, although there are a number of office buildings in town.
Wilton is home to many successful global corporations such as ASML, Deloitte & Touche, Sun Products, Breitling SA, Cannondale Bicycle Corporation, Melissa & Doug, Clear Conscience Pet and the Blue Buffalo Company. Many Fortune 500 companies are headquartered within a 30-minute commute. AIG Financial Products was headquartered in Wilton.[6][7][8] It is also notable as the first Connecticut headquarters of Bridgewater Associates and residence of Ray Dalio before the company's move to Westport in the '90s.[9][10]
The original 40 families of the parish began their own Congregational church and were allowed by Norwalk to hire a minister (Robert Sturgeon, who also became the town's first schoolmaster), open schools and build roads.[11] During the Revolutionary War in 1777, the British used Wilton as an escape route after their successful raid on Danbury.[12] Several homes were burned, but the town remained intact.[13] In 1802, Wilton was granted a Town Charter by the Connecticut General Assembly and became a political entity independent from Norwalk.[14]
Business Results 1 - 10 of 316
2 Reviews 
6 Reviews 1 Reviews 
13 Reviews 
4 Reviews 8 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
12 Reviews 
9 Reviews 2 Reviews 