How to Enroll in the Right Electrician Tech School near Atglen Pennsylvania
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Atglen PA. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are a number of points to evaluate. For instance, many students will start by searching for schools that are close to their home. When they have found several that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the sole things that need to be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are several approaches to obtain electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Atglen PA. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states to be licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are short explanations of the three most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards students who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out before licensing. Therefore, most students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria
Electricians in Atglen PA can perform a multitude of functions, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around four to five years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Schools Online
A possibility that you may have looked at is choosing an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more practical alternative for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Commuting expenses from Atglen PA are also lessened and some of the study materials can be available on line as well. Each of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address 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 focus your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Atglen PA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial two 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 while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional factors that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive 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. Confirm that the Atglen PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, it can assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate might signify that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It could also signify that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Atglen PA graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Atglen PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Atglen PA electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Atglen residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can 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 monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Atglen PA, confirm that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Electrician Night School Atglen Pennsylvania
Choosing the right electrical training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Night School and wanting more information on the topic Train As An Electrician. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification also. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Atglen PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Atglen, Pennsylvania
The land upon which Atglen now stands was once a wilderness. Cutting through it were paths made by Indians who traveled from Paxtang (present day Harrisburg) to present day New Castle, Delaware to trade with the Swedes and later, the English. The Great Minquas Path was one of these trails.
In 1717, Sadsbury township was organized. It included all of present-day Sadsbury Township as well as Fallowfield, Highland, and Valley townships. In August 1728, several inhabitants petitioned the court to separate Sadsbury from Fallowfield because of the former's size. In November of that year, the township was subdivided into East and West Sadsbury, and in 1729, upon the division of Chester County into Lancaster and Chester counties, the line between the two divisions of the township was made to conform to the county line.
During the mid 18th century more settlers arrived, drawn by the township's rich farming land. The Indian trails became horse tracks and later wagon tracks as farmers shipped their goods to market in Philadelphia, Newport, Delaware, and New Castle, Delaware. The old Provincial Highway as authorized by the government was laid out in 1730 and the Newport Road to the ore mines at Cornwall in Lebanon County, was laid out in 1796.
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