How to Select the Best Electrician Technical School near Kittanning Pennsylvania
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Kittanning PA. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of variables to examine. For example, many prospective students will start by searching for schools that are close to their home. Once they have identified several that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the only qualifications that must be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will discuss 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 Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are several options to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Kittanning PA. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the 3 most typical programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate 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 students who wish to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 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 comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Pennsylvania institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in Kittanning PA can perform a vast array of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about four to five years of prior experience is required in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be obtained in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves 3 levels of proficiency:
- 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 imperative that the electrician vocational school that you select not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Schools
An option that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools have become more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning can be a more practical choice for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Commuting costs from Kittanning PA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be available online also. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Kittanning PA region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other factors that must be taken into account 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 vocational programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Kittanning PA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you get an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, 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 schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, 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 confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Kittanning PA students secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Kittanning PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional 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 using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Kittanning PA electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Kittanning home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Kittanning PA, check that the schools you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Electrician Courses Kittanning Pennsylvania
Choosing the ideal electrical training program 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 Courses and wanting more information on the topic Become Licensed Electrician. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every training program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Kittanning PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Kittanning, Pennsylvania
Kittanning (/kɪˈtænɪŋ/ pronounced k-TAN-ing) is a borough and the county seat of Armstrong County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.[3] It is situated 44 miles (71 km) northeast of Pittsburgh, along the east bank of the Allegheny River.
The name is derived from Kithanink,[4] which means 'on the main river' in Lenape or the Delaware language, from kit- 'big' + hane 'mountain river' + -ink (suffix used in place names). "The main river" is a Lenape term for the Allegheny and Ohio combined, which they considered as all one river.[5] The borough and its bridge have been used as a setting for several recent films.
The borough is located on the east bank of the Allegheny River, founded on the site of the eighteenth-century Lenape (Delaware) village of Kittanning at the western end of the Kittanning Path, an ancient Indian path.
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