How to Select the Best Electrician Trade School near Boardman Ohio
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Boardman OH. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are so many factors to consider. For example, many potential students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have located some that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the only factors that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are multiple options to receive electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Boardman OH. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short explanations of the 3 most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Ohio vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take 2 years to finish and are offered by Ohio community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Ohio institutions, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Boardman OH can undertake a vast array of functions, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally about four to five years of prior experience is required 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 identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be acquired in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves three levels of competency:
- 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 choose not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
An alternative that you might have considered is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning may be a more convenient alternative for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Commuting costs from Boardman OH are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Boardman OH region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional variables that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research before choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Boardman OH program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states mandate 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could signify that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It might also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory 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 confirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Boardman OH graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Boardman OH area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish 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 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 tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Boardman OH electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Boardman home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training 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 feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers 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 meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Boardman OH, confirm that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Electrician Trade Schools Boardman Ohio
Picking the best electrician 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 Electrician Trade Schools and wanting more information on the topic Online Electrical School. But as we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician training that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides unique options for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Boardman OH.
More Electric Locations in Ohio
Boardman, Ohio
Boardman is a census-designated place (CDP) in Boardman Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, a suburb immediately south of Youngstown. Boardman is one of two major retail hubs in the Mahoning Valley. The population of the CDP was 35,376 at the 2010 census.[3]
Boardman was founded by Elijah Boardman in the late 1780s.[4] Though the CDP of Boardman consists of suburban spillover from Youngstown, Boardman was traditionally an agricultural community with grain crops and apple orchards. Around the turn of the century, the railroad led to Southern Park, a horse racing facility on Washington Boulevard, making the area an early draw for Youngstown urbanites.
Boardman is located at 41°2′20″N 80°39′55″W / 41.03889°N 80.66528°W / 41.03889; -80.66528 (41.038958, −80.665395).[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 15.3 square miles (39.6 km2), of which 15.1 square miles (39.2 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), or 1.12%, is water.[3]
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