Education Needed To Be An Electrician Springfield PA - Find Electrician Training Near You

How to Find the Best Electrician Trade School near Springfield Pennsylvania

Springfield PA electrician working on circuit board The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Springfield PA. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are so many points to examine. For instance, some potential students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their residence. After they have found several that are within commuting distance, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that need to be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your final decision when selecting an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are offered.

Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options

Springfield PA electrician on power line pole There are three general approaches to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Springfield PA. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three options. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most prevalent programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards those who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take two years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed before licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements

Springfield PA electrician wiring box Electricians in Springfield PA can perform a wide range of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about four to five years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be acquired in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician tech school that you choose not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Training Classes Online

Springfield PA student attending electrician school online An alternative that you may have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Travelling costs from Springfield PA are also lessened and some of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Questions to ask Springfield PA electrician schools Once you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Springfield PA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Springfield PA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also indicate that the instructors were not qualified 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 more extensive directory of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Springfield PA students acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Springfield PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained 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, check with the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Springfield PA electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Springfield residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one 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 witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications 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 can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Springfield PA, verify that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, 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 due to work, sickness or family emergencies.

Education Needed To Be An Electrician Springfield Pennsylvania

Springfield PA electricians working on power lines Selecting the right electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Education Needed To Be An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Certificate. But as we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Springfield PA.