How to Choose the Right Electrician Technical School near Decatur Nebraska
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Decatur NE. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many factors to consider. For instance, many potential students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have identified several that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the only factors that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater 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.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are several ways to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Decatur NE. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Nebraska vocational and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards those who wish to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Nebraska junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Nebraska institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed before licensing. Because of that, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Decatur NE can undertake a wide range of tasks, including 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 become licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you select not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Schools
An alternative that you may have considered is choosing an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs are becoming more accepted 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 partial attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning might be a more accommodating alternative for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Driving expenses from Decatur NE are also lessened and some of the study materials may be accessed on line also. All of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Decatur NE region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade 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 an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Decatur NE program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you obtain an excellent education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It could also mean that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which can 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 help Decatur NE students acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Decatur NE area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Decatur NE electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Decatur residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees 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 some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Decatur NE, confirm that the programs you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Schooling For Electricians Decatur Nebraska
Choosing the right electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Schooling For Electricians and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Training Programs. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Decatur NE.
More Electric Locations in Nebraska
Decatur, Nebraska
Decatur is a village in Burt County, Nebraska, United States, adjacent to the Missouri River. The population was 481 at the 2010 census. This town is named after one of its incorporators, Stephen Decatur.
The first European settler in the area was a man named Woods, who settled at the mouth of Wood Creek (his namesake) in 1837. Stephen Decatur arrived in the area in 1841. His farm was called Decatur Springs, after a spring which supplied water to the village for the next century.[7]
In 1854, the U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs purchased 300,000 acres of land from the Omaha, including the area which is now Decatur. The town of Decatur was incorporated in 1856 under the name "The Decatur Townsite & Ferry Company." The other incorporators included Thomas Whiteacre, T. H. Hineman, George Mason, and Herman Glass. Important Nebraska settler Peter Sarpy, who ran an Indian trading post at the mouth of Wood Creek, helped lay out the town. The patents for the town were granted on May 1, 1862. Following the dissolution of the Decatur Townsite and Ferry Company, the town was renamed Decatur Village in 1858.[7]
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