How to Select the Right Electrician Training School near Martins Ferry Ohio
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Martins Ferry OH. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are so many points to examine. For instance, some students will start by searching for schools that are close to their home. Once they have found some that are within commuting range, they will select the one with the least expensive tuition. Although cost and location are of importance, they are not the sole factors that should be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional options that are offered.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are multiple approaches to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Martins Ferry OH. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered 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 program, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are brief explanations of the 3 most typical programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Ohio technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards those who would like to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Ohio community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Ohio institutions, but are less popular at 4 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 carried out before licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Martins Ferry OH can perform a multitude of functions, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become 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 commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be earned in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases entails 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you select not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online
An alternative that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance 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 rest of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning can be a more convenient alternative for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting expenses from Martins Ferry OH are also minimized and some of the study materials can be available on line as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
When you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Because there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Martins Ferry OH area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are other variables that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Martins Ferry OH school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain an excellent education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It might also mean that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Martins Ferry OH students acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Martins Ferry OH area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Martins Ferry OH electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Martins Ferry home. Remember that if you decide to attend 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 desirable that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see 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, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Martins Ferry OH, verify that the programs you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Electrician Trade School Online Martins Ferry Ohio
Picking the best electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Trade School Online and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Technical School. But as we have discussed in this article, there are many things 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 reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each program provides unique options for certification as well. Probably the best approach to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Martins Ferry OH.
More Electric Locations in Ohio
Martins Ferry, Ohio
Martins Ferry is the oldest European settlement in the state of Ohio, having been settled at least as early as 1779, almost a decade before Marietta. The community was a westward extension of the city of Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia), but at that time, settlement on the west bank of the Ohio River was not permitted. Through the years, it has been known as Hoglinstown, Mercertown, Norristown(1785), Jefferson(1795), Martinsville(1835), and Martin's Ferry(1865) (the apostrophe is no longer used).
Squatters from across the Ohio were the earliest settlers. The settlement formed in the shadow of Virginia's Fort Henry on the Virginia side of the Ohio, built in 1774. The town was disbanded a couple of times before becoming established as Norristown in 1785.[citation needed] In 1795, the town of Jefferson was platted by Absalom Martin, one of the city's earliest settlers, who operated a ferry there. In 1801, he abandoned his plat when St. Clairsville was selected as the county seat of the newly organized county of Belmont, one of the founding territories of the Northwest Territory.
In 1835, Ebenezer Martin, the son of Absalom Martin, redesigned the town, which he called "Martinsville", with a grid system of streets, much of which survives to this day. Martinsville remained an unincorporated settlement for a relatively long time. It was eventually incorporated as a village in 1865 and renamed Martin's Ferry for Ebenezer's father's ferry. It was chartered as a city in 1885, and sometime later the apostrophe was dropped from the city's name.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 8
1 Reviews 1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
20 Reviews 