How to Pick the Best Electrician Trade School near Washington Pennsylvania
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Washington PA. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are so many points to evaluate. For instance, some potential students will start by searching for schools that are close to their residence. After they have found several that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the sole qualifications that should be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are available.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are three general approaches to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Washington PA. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are short explanations of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to complete and are offered by Pennsylvania community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be carried out prior to licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Washington PA can carry out a wide range of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about four to five years of prior experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be earned in several specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes three 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
An alternative that you might have looked at is choosing an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning can be a more practical alternative for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Travelling expenses from Washington PA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be available online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Washington PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 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 final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are additional variables that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research before choosing an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Washington PA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you acquire a superior education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate might signify that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It may also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which may produce 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 assist Washington PA grads secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical 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 businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Washington PA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Washington PA electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Washington residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with several 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 expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Washington PA, check that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
How Long To Become An Electrician Washington Pennsylvania
Selecting the best electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in How Long To Become An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Learn To Be An Electrician Online. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Washington PA.
More Electric Locations in Pennsylvania
Washington County, Pennsylvania
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 207,820.[1] Its county seat is Washington.[2] The county was created on March 28, 1781, from part of Westmoreland County. The city and county were both named after American Revolutionary War leader George Washington, who eventually became the first President of the United States.
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 202,897 people, 81,130 households, and 56,060 families residing in the county. The population density was 237 people per square mile (91/km²). There were 87,267 housing units at an average density of 102 per square mile (39/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.27% White, 3.26% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 0.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.3% were of German, 17.2% Italian, 10.6% Irish, 8.6% English, 7.9% Polish and 6.2% American ancestry.
There were 81,130 households out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.96.
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