How to Choose the Best Electrician Technical School near Exton Pennsylvania
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Exton PA. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are so many variables to examine. For example, some prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have found several that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the sole factors that should 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 help mold your final decision when picking an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are three general approaches to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Exton PA. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to finish and are offered by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed before licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Exton PA can carry out a vast array of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring 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 commonly about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be acquired in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes three levels of competency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician tech school that you pick not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
An alternative that you may have considered is choosing an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning may be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Driving costs from Exton PA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be available online also. All of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Exton PA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other variables that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Exton PA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get a superior education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering 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 could signify that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It could also suggest that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher 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 employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Exton PA grads acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Exton PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local 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 working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Exton PA electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Exton home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to some of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the teachers and learn 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 assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Exton PA, check that the programs you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be 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, illness or family responsibilities.
Trade Schools For Electricians Exton Pennsylvania
Selecting the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Trade Schools For Electricians and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Degree Online. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Exton PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Exton, Pennsylvania
Exton is a census-designated place (CDP) in West Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its population was 4,842 at the 2010 census. The Exton Square Mall and Main Street at Exton are both located within Exton along with several other shopping centers, making Exton the major shopping district in Chester County.
Exton lies at the intersection of U.S. Route 30 (formerly the Lancaster Road, and later the Lincoln Highway) and Pennsylvania Route 100 (Pottstown Pike). Beginning in the late 18th century, the Lancaster Road became a major transportation route between Philadelphia and the west, while what is now Route 100 was a regional north-south route to Pottstown. A theory exists that Exton was named as the "X" on the map, denoting this intersection, though more likely the village was named after one of the several Extons in the United Kingdom.
In the late 1940s, Exton became home to the Newcomen Society of the United States. The campus of the learned society was built overlooking farmland on Newcomen Road, and featured offices, a printing shop, library and museum, guest houses, a chapel and a belltower with a carillon. The Newcomen Society (since dissolved) sold the property in the late 1990s, but its campus remains an Exton landmark serving as the headquarters of another business.
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