How to Choose the Right Electrician Vocational School near Goodlettsville Tennessee
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Goodlettsville TN. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to consider. For instance, many students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have identified several that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the only factors that should be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when picking an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are accessible.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are several ways to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Goodlettsville TN. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Tennessee trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to finish and are provided by Tennessee community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Tennessee colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed before licensing. Because of that, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria
Electricians in Goodlettsville TN can undertake a multitude of functions, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around four to five years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be earned in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you select not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Schools Online
An alternative that you might have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning can be a more accommodating choice for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Commuting expenses from Goodlettsville TN are also lessened and some of the study materials can be available online as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
When you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Goodlettsville TN region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Goodlettsville TN school and program 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 guarantee that you get a quality education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Also, many states require 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 of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate could signify that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It could also signify that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Goodlettsville TN grads secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many 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 within their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Goodlettsville TN area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Goodlettsville TN electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Goodlettsville residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to several of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Goodlettsville TN, verify that the schools you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure 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, illness or family issues.
School Of Electrical Education Goodlettsville Tennessee
Picking the right electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in School Of Electrical Education and wanting more information on the topic How Long Is Electrician School. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Goodlettsville TN.
More Electric Locations in Tennessee
Goodlettsville, Tennessee
Goodlettsville is a city in Davidson and Sumner counties, Tennessee. Goodlettsville was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; at the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 15,921[4] and in 2015 the population was 16,994. Goodlettsville chose to remain autonomous in 1963 when the city of Nashville merged with the government of Davidson County.
On April 28, 1892, an African-American man called Ephraim Grizzard was taken to the Nashville jail for allegedly assaulting two daughters of the Bruce family in Goodlettsville.[8] Two days later, he was lynched by a mob of 10,000 in Nashville.[8] His corpse was taken back to Goodlettsville, where it was burned.[8]
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 13,780 people, 5,601 households, and 3,825 families residing in the city. The population density was 986.5 people per square mile (380.9/km²). There were 5,853 housing units at an average density of 419.0 per square mile (161.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.42% White, 9.83% African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. 1.48% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
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