How to Find the Best Electrician Vocational School near New Kensington Pennsylvania
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near New Kensington PA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are a number of points to consider. For example, some students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have found several that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the sole qualifications that must be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are offered.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are several approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near New Kensington PA. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief summaries of the three most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who wish to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Pennsylvania institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements
Electricians in New Kensington PA can carry out a wide range of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly test 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 identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be obtained in numerous specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 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 trade school that you select not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online
A possibility that you might have looked at is choosing an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning might be a more convenient alternative for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting costs from New Kensington PA are also lessened and some of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the New Kensington PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are additional variables that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the New Kensington PA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you get a quality education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate might suggest that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It could also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to utilize 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 industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help New Kensington PA graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with New Kensington PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local New Kensington PA electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your New Kensington residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to 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 evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near New Kensington PA, verify that the programs you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Electric College New Kensington Pennsylvania
Selecting the ideal electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electric College and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Programs Online. But as we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical training that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in New Kensington PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
New Kensington, Pennsylvania
New Kensington, known locally as New Ken, is a city in Westmoreland County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, situated along the Allegheny River 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 13,116 at the 2010 Census.
Like much of Westmoreland County and surrounding areas, the region was a hunting ground for Native Americans of the Six Nations European-American settlement began in the mid-1700s. Continental army troops built Fort Crawford, near the mouth of Pucketa Creek, in 1777. The fort was abandoned in 1793.
Originally part of Burrell (and later Lower Burrell) Township, the city of New Kensington was founded in 1891. In 1890, the Burrell Improvement Company considered the advantages of the level land south of its home in Lower Burrell, and deemed it a prime location for a city and named the area "Kensington"; this was later changed to "New Kensington" for postal reasons, to avoid confusion with the Philadelphia neighborhood of the same name. In an attempt to make New Kensington comparable to Pittsburgh, the streets were named with numbers. Avenues ran parallel to the river, while streets were perpendicular. The main commercial streets were 4th and 5th avenues.
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