How to Pick the Right Electrician Training School near New Providence New Jersey
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near New Providence NJ. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are a number of factors to consider. For instance, many potential students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. After they have identified a few that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the sole factors that must be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are three general options to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near New Providence NJ. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Bellow are brief explanations of the three most typical programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by New Jersey technical and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve two years to finish and are provided by New Jersey community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain New Jersey colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out prior to licensing. Because of that, most students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in New Providence NJ can carry out a wide range of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around 4 to 5 years of practical experience is called for before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically assess electrical theory and general knowledge, 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 may be obtained in many specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 3 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes
An alternative that you might have looked at is choosing an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning may be a more convenient choice for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting costs from New Providence NJ are also reduced and some of the study materials can be available online also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the New Providence NJ region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are other factors that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the New Providence NJ school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may suggest that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It might also signify that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist New Providence NJ students secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with New Providence NJ area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local New Providence NJ electrical company if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your New Providence residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might 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 larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near New Providence NJ, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.
Electrical Technician Training New Providence New Jersey
Choosing the right electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Technician Training and wanting more information on the topic Colleges That Offer Electrician Programs. But as we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every training program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you select is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in New Providence NJ.
More Electric Locations in New Jersey
New Providence, New Jersey
New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 12,171,[10][11][12] reflecting an increase of 264 (+2.2%) from the 11,907 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 468 (+4.1%) from the 11,439 counted in the 1990 Census.[21]
The written history of New Providence begins in 1664 when James, Duke of York and brother to King Charles II, purchased the land that became known as the Elizabethtown Tract from the Lenape Native Americans. Its first European settlers were members of a Puritan colony established in 1720, which was the first permanent settlement of its type.[22] The settlement was originally called "Turkey" or "Turkey Town", due to the presence of wild turkeys in the area.[23][24]
The Presbyterian Church established in 1737 was a focal point for the community, and the lack of serious injuries when the church's balcony collapsed in 1759 was deemed to be an example of Divine intervention, leading residents to change the area's name to New Providence.[24][25]
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