How Do I Become An Electrician Valley View PA - Find Electrician Training Near You

How to Find the Right Electrician Training School near Valley View Pennsylvania

Valley View PA electrician working on circuit board The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Valley View PA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many factors to consider. For instance, some students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their home. When they have found several that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the only factors that must be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your ultimate decision when picking an electrician training school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are available.

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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs

Valley View PA electrician on power line pole There are multiple approaches to receive electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Valley View PA. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the three most prevalent programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards students who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees take two years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Pennsylvania institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines

Valley View PA electrician wiring box Electricians in Valley View PA can carry out a vast array of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually around four to five years of prior experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be acquired in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 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 important that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Programs Online

Valley View PA student attending electrician school online An alternative that you might have considered is choosing an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning might be a more practical choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Driving expenses from Valley View PA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be available on line also. Each of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Questions to ask Valley View PA electrician schools Once you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Since there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Valley View PA area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about 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 crucial when making your decision, there are other variables that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to research before selecting an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. Many electrician vocational 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, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Valley View 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 guarantee that you get an excellent education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, a number of states mandate 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 considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate might indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It could also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list 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 validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Valley View PA students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Valley View PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies job 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 technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Valley View PA electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Valley View residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Valley View PA, check that the programs you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.

How Do I Become An Electrician Valley View Pennsylvania

Valley View PA electricians working on power lines Picking the right electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in How Do I Become An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Accredited Electrician Schools. But as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every program provides different options for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Valley View PA.