How to Find the Right Electrician Trade School near Gordon Texas
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Gordon TX. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are a number of factors to evaluate. For example, many prospective students will start by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the only qualifications that must be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your ultimate judgment when picking 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 becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are available.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are multiple approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Gordon TX. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three options. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are short summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Texas vocational and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to complete and are provided by Texas junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Texas colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Gordon TX can undertake a multitude of services, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around four to five years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be obtained in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves 3 levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations 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 trade school that you pick not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online
A possibility that you might have considered is choosing an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning may be a more convenient alternative for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Driving expenses from Gordon TX are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be available online also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
When you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Gordon TX area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other variables that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Gordon TX school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states require 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 percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It could also signify that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to use 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 trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Gordon TX students obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Gordon TX area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing 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 campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date 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 with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Gordon TX electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Gordon home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to several of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Gordon TX, verify that the programs you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Electrical Technology Schools Gordon Texas
Picking the right electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Technology Schools and wanting more information on the topic How To Become Electrician. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses 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 fulfill your needs. Every program offers unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Gordon TX.
More Electric Locations in Texas
Gordon, Texas
Gordon's history begins in 1864 with the founding of the community of Hampton, Texas. The town of Gordon was planned by the Texas and Pacific Railway one mile south of Hampton in 1874. The new town was named Gordon after the civil engineer responsible for surveying the townsite land. The railroad was built through the area in 1880, and the following year Hampton was moved to meet the railroad. The first classes at the Gordon School were held in 1882, and the post office opened on October 17, 1883 with local businessman Robert Rogan serving as the community's first postmaster. Gordon High School was built in 1887, and by 1889 Gordon possessed five general stores, three drug stores, three hotels, three cotton gins, and a reported population of 300 residents.
By 1901, Gordon had telephone service and the city got its own power plant in 1912. In the U.S. Census of 1920, the burgeoning community reported 1,000 residents; but the effects of the Great Depression brought prosperity to a halt, and by 1960 there were fewer than 500 people living in Gordon. The city has managed to survive as a point of commerce and shipping for local ranching and petroleum production. As of the 2000 Census, Gordon claimed 451 residents.[4]
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 451 people, 190 households, and 128 families residing in the city. The population density was 467.2 people per square mile (179.5/km2). There were 228 housing units at an average density of 236.2 per square mile (90.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.23% White, 1.11% Native American, 0.44% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.10% of the population.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 6
1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
20 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
2 Reviews 