How to Choose the Right Electrician Trade School near Borden South Carolina
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Borden SC. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to evaluate. For instance, many students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their home. After they have identified several that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. Even though location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that must be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when picking an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are available.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are several ways to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Borden SC. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are brief explanations of the three most typical programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by South Carolina technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are offered by South Carolina junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain South Carolina institutions, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be carried out before licensing. Therefore, most students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Borden SC can perform a vast array of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically around 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually assess electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be obtained in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves three 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 choose not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools
An alternative that you might have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more practical alternative for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Borden SC are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be available online also. All of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
When you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Borden SC area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Borden SC program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Also, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could signify that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It could also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to employ 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 industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Borden SC graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Borden SC area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Borden SC electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Borden residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized training 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 witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to several of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Borden SC, check that the schools you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.
How To Become A Licensed Electrician Borden South Carolina
Picking the ideal electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in How To Become A Licensed Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Best Trade School For Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Borden SC.
More Electric Locations in South Carolina
CFB Borden
The historic birthplace of the Royal Canadian Air Force,[2] CFB Borden is home to the largest training wing in the Canadian Armed Forces.[3] The base is run by Canadian Forces Support Training Group (CFSTG) and reports to the Canadian Defence Academy (CDA) in Kingston.
At the height of the First World War, the Borden Military Camp opened at a location on a glacial moraine west of Barrie in 1916 to train units for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. It was named for Sir Frederick William Borden, former Minister of Militia.[4] In May 1916, the Barrie and Collingwood companies of the 157th Battalion (Simcoe Foresters), CEF (perpetuated today by The Grey and Simcoe Foresters ), under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel D. H. MacLaren, began construction of the camp. Camp Borden was selected in 1917 for a military aerodrome, becoming the first flying station of the Royal Flying Corps Canada. During the inter-war period, the aerodrome was used as the training location for the nascent Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and was renamed RCAF Station Borden. Camp Borden's training grounds were expanded in 1938 to house the Canadian Tank School. The Siskins were a RCAF aerobatic flying team that was established in 1929 at Camp Borden.
During the Second World War, both Camp Borden and RCAF Station Borden became the most important training facility in Canada, housing both army training and flight training, the latter under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). The BCATP's No. 1 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) was located here until 1946. Relief landing fields were located at Alliston and Edenvale.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 7
1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
1 Reviews 