Electrician Vocational Training Ford City PA

How to Select the Right Electrician Tech School near Ford City Pennsylvania

Ford City PA electrician working on circuit boardThe first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Ford City PA. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many factors to evaluate. For example, many potential students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. After they have located some that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the only qualifications that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final decision when selecting an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are available.

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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options

Ford City PA electrician on power line poleThere are multiple approaches to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Ford City PA. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the three most prevalent programs available.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards students who wish to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
  • Associate Degrees require two 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 prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be completed before licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Ford City PA electrician wiring boxElectricians in Ford City PA can carry out a multitude of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period 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 typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be obtained in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 3 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online

Ford City PA student attending electrician school onlineAn option that you may have considered is choosing an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more convenient alternative for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting expenses from Ford City PA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Questions to ask Ford City PA electrician schoolsNow that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Ford City PA area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical technical school.

Accreditation.  Numerous electrician trade 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 pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Ford City PA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive a superior education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order 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 of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It may also signify that the instructors were not competent 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 graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Ford City PA students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs.  A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Ford City PA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Ford City PA electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Ford City residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes.   It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with several of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling.  Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Ford City PA, confirm that the programs you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Electrician Vocational Training Ford City Pennsylvania

Ford City PA electricians working on power linesSelecting the best electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Vocational Training and wanting more information on the topic Technical School For Electrician. But as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be up-to-date 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 credential will best serve your needs. Every program offers different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Ford City PA.

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    Ford City, Pennsylvania

    Ford City is a borough in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States, 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Pittsburgh along the east bank of the Allegheny River and 4 miles (6 km) south of Kittanning, the county seat. The population of Ford City at the 2010 census was 2,991.[3]

    Ford City was founded in 1887 as a company town by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (now PPG Industries) as the site for its Works No. 3 glass factory. The town was named in honor of the company founder, John Baptiste Ford (1811–1903). The factory employed as many as 5,000 workers in its heyday. PPG shut down its Ford City operations in the 1990s. The once largest employer in Armstrong County, Eljer Plumbing, shut down its Ford City plant in 2008.

    According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.77 square miles (2.0 km2), of which 0.66 square miles (1.7 km2) is land and 0.12 square miles (0.3 km2), or 15.28%, is water.[3]

     

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