How to Choose the Best Electrician Technical School near Memphis Texas
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Memphis TX. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many points to examine. For instance, some potential students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their home. Once they have identified several that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that should be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are multiple approaches to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Memphis TX. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are short explanations of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Texas technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards those who wish to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take 2 years to complete and are offered by Texas community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Texas institutions, 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 completed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Memphis TX can perform a vast array of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around 4 to 5 years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs
A possibility that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning can be a more practical choice for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting costs from Memphis TX are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be available on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Memphis TX area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are other variables that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Memphis TX school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive a superior education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It might also mean that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which can 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 field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Memphis TX graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Memphis TX area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Memphis TX electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Memphis home. Remember that if you decide to attend 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 get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Memphis TX, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Electrician Education Requirements Memphis Texas
Choosing the right electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Education Requirements and wanting more information on the topic Electricians Training. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Memphis TX.
More Electric Locations in Texas
Memphis, Texas
Memphis, Texas, the county seat of Hall County, is at the junction of U.S. Highway 287, State Highway 256, and Farm Road 1547, in the northeastern part of the county. It started in 1889, when J. C. Montgomery purchased land for a townsite north of Salisbury on the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway. This land had been previously owned by W. H. Robertson, who had a dugout near Parker Creek. Montgomery and Robertson, with Rev. J. W. Brice and T. J. Woods, Jr., of Dallas, formed a townsite company and presented a plat early in January 1890. P. M. Kelly opened a law office. A rooming house (later the Memphis Hotel), a general store, a drugstore, and several residences were soon erected. For a time, the new town was without a name. Several suggestions were submitted to federal postal authorities, but with negative results. Finally, as the story goes, Reverend Brice, while in Austin, happened to see a letter addressed by accident to Memphis, Texas, rather than Tennessee, with the notation "no such town in Texas". The name was submitted and accepted, and a post office was established on September 12, 1890, with Robertson as postmaster.
In the meantime, Hall County was being organized. Memphis was engaged in a heated county seat battle with neighboring Salisbury and Lakeview. Memphis won the election with a total of 84 votes. County officers were elected in June, and a school district was subsequently formed. Since Memphis was without a depot and trains did not stop there, certain citizens sought to remedy that situation by smearing the tracks with lye soap. A subsequent agreement was struck between town promoters and railroad officials. In 1891, a depot was built, and businesses were moved on wheels from Salisbury to the new county seat, where a courthouse of homemade bricks was constructed in 1892.
Memphis thus enjoyed a boom period. Two saloons, a bank, numerous stores, blacksmith shops, and livery stables attested to its role as a shipping and trading center for area ranchers and farmers. The Missionary Baptist Church was organized in Memphis; its minister Rev. J. L. Pyle began Baptist congregations throughout the county. Telephone service was first installed in 1901. In June 1906, the town was incorporated with a mayor-council form of city government. The Memphis Cotton Oil Mill was established in 1907. Memphis had at one time or another several newspapers, including the Hall County Record (1889–93), the Hall County Herald (1890–1928), the Memphis Journal (1892–94), the Memphis Times (1896), the Memphis Leader (1897–99), the Hall County News (1897–1903), and the Memphis News (1928–29). The only newspaper extant in 1986, the Memphis Democrat, was launched in 1908 and went through a succession of owners. By the 1920s, Memphis had a new brick-and-stone courthouse, modern utilities, a cotton compress, three hotels, brick school buildings, and a Carnegie Library. In 1922, the city's Morning Side addition was founded east of the tracks as a residential area for blacks who labored in the cotton fields and mills. In 1935, E. M. Ewen and his wife formed the Hall County Old Settlers' Reunion (later the Hall County Picnic Association). Four years later, they staged a rodeo as part of the annual two-day celebration.
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