How to Enroll in the Right Electrician Tech School near Edgemont Pennsylvania
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Edgemont PA. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are so many variables to consider. For example, some potential students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have found some that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the sole things that need to be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your ultimate decision when picking an electrician training school. We will cover 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 training options that are accessible.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options
There are three general ways to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Edgemont PA. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or earn 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 program, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the three most typical programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Pennsylvania institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Edgemont PA can carry out a wide range of duties, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be acquired in several specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails 3 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 important that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online
An option that you may have considered is choosing an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning can be a more practical choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting costs from Edgemont PA are also reduced and some of the study materials may be available online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
When you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Edgemont PA area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Edgemont PA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get an excellent education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, 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 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 low completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It could also indicate that the teachers 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 list of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Edgemont PA grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Edgemont PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus 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, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Edgemont PA electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Edgemont home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Edgemont PA, check that the schools you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain 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 responsibilities.
Private Electrician Courses Edgemont Pennsylvania
Selecting the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Private Electrician Courses and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Technician Schools. But as we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Edgemont PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Edgemont, Pennsylvania
Edgemont is an unincorporated community in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the Harrisburg-Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area, nearby bordering the state capital city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania northeast, and the nearby census-designated place of Progress, Pennsylvania, the latitude is 40.285, and the longitude −76.849, its elevation is 486 feet.
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