How to Pick the Right Electrician Tech School near Prentiss Mississippi
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Prentiss MS. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of factors to evaluate. For instance, some prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their home. When they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that must be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your final judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are offered.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are three general approaches to get electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Prentiss MS. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief explanations of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Mississippi vocational and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards those who would like to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are offered by Mississippi junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Mississippi institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Prentiss MS can perform a vast array of functions, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually test electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be obtained in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves three levels of competency:
- 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 furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Schools
A possibility that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools have become more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning can be a more convenient choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting costs from Prentiss MS are also lessened and some of the study materials can be accessed online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Prentiss MS region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research before selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Prentiss MS program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you acquire a superior education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also indicate that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Prentiss MS graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Prentiss MS area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained 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 regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Prentiss MS electrical contractor if they can give you some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Prentiss residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized 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 observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with several of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Prentiss MS, check that the programs you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.
Accredited Electrician Schools Online Prentiss Mississippi
Picking the best electrical training program 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 Accredited Electrician Schools Online and wanting more information on the topic Online Electrician Classes. But as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Prentiss MS.
More Electric Locations in Mississippi
Prentiss, Mississippi
A depot was established in Blountville when the Pearl & Leaf Rivers Railroad (later Illinois Central Railroad) was completed in 1903. That same year the town was officially established and named "Prentiss", possibly after Seargent Smith Prentiss, a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and U.S. Representative from Mississippi, or after Prentiss Webb Berry, a prominent landowner in the area. When Jefferson Davis County was created in 1906, a special election determined that Prentiss would serve as the county seat.[5][7][8]
In 1907, Jonas Edward Johnson and his wife Bertha LaBranche Johnson established the Prentiss Institute. Situated on 40 acres (16 ha) of land, with remnants of slave quarters on the property, it was considered one of the finest schools for African Americans in Mississippi. The school at first taught only the elementary grades, and began with 40 students whose tuition was often paid with chickens, eggs and produce. A Rosenwald classroom was built on the campus in 1926, and by 1953 the "Prentiss Normal and Industrial Institute" included a high school and junior college, had 44 faculty and more than 700 students, and included 24 buildings and 400 acres (160 ha) of farmland, pasture and forest. In 1955, Heifer International donated 15 pure-bred cows to the school with the intention that the offspring be donated to needy farm families. It is noteworthy that the school gave some of the animals to poor white families. The school closed in 1989 and was designated an official Mississippi landmark in 2002.[9][10]
Prentiss is located in central Jefferson Davis County at 31°35′49″N 89°52′11″W / 31.596990°N 89.869776°W / 31.596990; -89.869776.[13]U.S. Route 84 passes north and west of the town center on a bypass; the four-lane highway leads east 20 miles (32 km) to Collins and west 16 miles (26 km) to Monticello. Mississippi Highway 13 passes through the town slightly east of the center; it leads north 27 miles (43 km) to Mendenhall and south 26 miles (42 km) to Columbia. Mississippi Highway 42 leads southeast from Prentiss 11 miles (18 km) to Bassfield.
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