How to Choose the Best Electrician Trade School near Kersey Pennsylvania
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Kersey PA. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are a number of factors to consider. For example, some potential students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have found a few that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the sole factors that must be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician school. We will talk about 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 training options that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options
There are several options to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Kersey PA. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the 3 most typical programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards those who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Kersey PA can undertake a vast array of duties, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually around four to five years of prior experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically assess general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be obtained in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes three levels of proficiency:
- 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 crucial that the electrician vocational school that you select not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools
An option that you might have looked at is choosing an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools have become more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning might be a more practical option for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting costs from Kersey PA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Once you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Kersey PA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn 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 Kersey PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive a quality education, it can assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Also, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It may also mean that the instructors 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 more extensive list of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Kersey PA students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Kersey PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Kersey PA electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Kersey home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Kersey PA, confirm that the schools you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure 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, illness or family emergencies.
Electrician Schools Kersey Pennsylvania
Choosing the best electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. 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 a number of things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides different options for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Kersey PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Kersey, Pennsylvania
The first permanent settlers of the county arrived in 1810 and founded Centreville at the headwaters of Little Toby Creek. Later that year, William Kersey built a gristmill and/or sawmill there, and the settlement was renamed "Kersey". At the time, the area was part of Clearfield County, as Elk County had not yet been formed. Early industries in the community were lumber and coal.[2]
Kersey is located in northern Fox Township, in south-central Elk County. Pennsylvania Route 948 passes through the community, leading east 2 miles (3 km) to PA 255 and west 5 miles (8 km) to U.S. Route 219, which leads 4 miles (6 km) north to Ridgway, the county seat.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Kersey CDP has a total area of 1.56 square miles (4.04 km2), of which 1.49 acres (6,015 m2), or 0.15%, is water.[1] The CDP includes the community of Dagus, to the west of Kersey proper. The community of Dagus Mines borders the CDP to the south. Kersey sits at an elevation of 1,980 feet (600 m) above sea level, 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest of the Eastern Continental Divide.
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