How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Vocational School near Norman Oklahoma
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Norman OK. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are a number of variables to consider. For example, many potential students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have located several that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the sole things that need to be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your final decision when selecting an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are available.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are three general ways to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Norman OK. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Oklahoma trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are offered by Oklahoma junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Oklahoma colleges, but are less favored 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 before licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Norman OK can undertake a multitude of duties, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be earned in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you pick not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
An option that you may have looked at is choosing an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools have become more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more convenient choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Norman OK are also reduced and some of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
When you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Norman OK region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are other variables that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Norman OK program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you obtain a quality education, it may assist in obtaining 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 schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate could indicate that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It could also signify that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive 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 validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Norman OK students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Norman OK area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Norman OK electrical contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Norman home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with several of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Norman OK, check that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Accredited Electrician Technical Schools Norman Oklahoma
Choosing the best electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Accredited Electrician Technical Schools and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Maintenance Training. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrician training that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Norman OK.
More Electric Locations in Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman /ˈnɔːrmən/ is a city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma located 20 miles (32 km) south of downtown Oklahoma City. As the county seat of Cleveland County and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, its population was 110,925 at the 2010 census.[1] Norman's estimated population of 122,843 in 2017 makes it the third-largest city in Oklahoma.
Norman was settled during the Land Run of 1889, which opened the former Unassigned Lands of Indian Territory to American pioneer settlement. The city was named in honor of Abner Norman, the area's initial land surveyor, and was formally incorporated on May 13, 1891. Economically the city has prominent higher education and related research industries, as it is home to the University of Oklahoma, the largest university in the state, with nearly 32,000 students enrolled. The university is well known for its sporting events by teams under the banner of the nickname "Sooners," with over 85,000 people routinely attending football games. The university is home to several museums, including the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, which contains the largest collection of French Impressionist art ever given to an American university, as well as the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.
The National Weather Center, located in Norman, houses a unique collection of university, state, federal, and private sector organizations that work together to improve the understanding of events related to the Earth's atmosphere. Norman lies within Tornado Alley, a geographic region where tornadic activity is particularly frequent and intense. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area, including Norman, is the most tornado-prone area in the world. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC), a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is located at the NWC. SPC forecasts severe storm and tornado outbreaks nationwide. Additionally, research is conducted at the co-located National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), which includes field research and operates various experimental weather radars.
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