How to Find the Best Electrician Trade School near Feasterville Trevose Pennsylvania
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Feasterville Trevose PA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are so many points to consider. For instance, many students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their home. When they have found a few that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that should be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are three general ways to get electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Feasterville Trevose PA. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common 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 earn certification. Following are short summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take 2 years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Feasterville Trevose PA can carry out a wide range of services, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around 4 to 5 years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be acquired in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes
An alternative that you might have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning may be a more practical choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Feasterville Trevose PA are also minimized and some of the study materials may be available on line also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
When you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Feasterville Trevose PA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are additional variables that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Feasterville Trevose PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you receive a superior education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Also, some states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate could signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It could also mean that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which can produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Feasterville Trevose PA grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Feasterville Trevose PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Feasterville Trevose PA electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Feasterville Trevose home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Feasterville Trevose PA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.
Electrician Schools Feasterville Trevose Pennsylvania
Picking the ideal 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 Schools and wanting more information on the topic Industrial Electrician School. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical training that you are assessing 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 instruction needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every program provides unique options for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Feasterville Trevose PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania
Feasterville-Trevose is a former census-designated place (CDP) in Lower Southampton Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The population was 6,525 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 19053. The area has been separated into two CDPs in the 2010 census, Feasterville and Trevose.
The Feasterville-Trevose CDP referred to by the U.S. Census Bureau encompasses a portion of Lower Southampton Township, but other sections of the township to the west and south are commonly considered parts of Feasterville, while the community of Trevose extends into Bensalem Township. Lower Southampton Township to the north is part of the Langhorne Post Office. The CDP is actually a relatively densely populated residential area between the two communities' central business districts.
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 6,525 people, 2,578 households, and 1,776 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,909.4 people per square mile (1,894.2/km²). There were 2,649 housing units at an average density of 1,993.8/sq mi (769.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.39% White, 2.13% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.99% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.28% of the population.
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