How to Find the Best Electrician Vocational School near Stephan South Dakota
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Stephan SD. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are a number of variables to examine. For example, some prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their residence. When they have located some that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. Even though location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications that should be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options
There are three general ways to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Stephan SD. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are short summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by South Dakota technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve two years to finish and are offered by South Dakota junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some South Dakota colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Stephan SD can perform a multitude of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around four to five years of experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be acquired in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves three levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Programs Online
An option that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools have become more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning may be a more convenient option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Travelling expenses from Stephan SD are also minimized and some of the study materials may be available online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Stephan SD area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are additional factors that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Stephan SD school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you obtain a quality education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate might suggest that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also mean that the teachers 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 broader list of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ 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 trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Stephan SD grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Stephan SD area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Stephan SD 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 commuting distance of your Stephan home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult 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 experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with some of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Stephan SD, confirm that the programs you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Train To Be Electrician Stephan South Dakota
Choosing the best electrical 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 Train To Be Electrician and wanting more information on the topic How To Become An Electrician. 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 reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Stephan SD.
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