Train To Become An Electrician Harrisonburg VA

How to Enroll in the Right Electrician Trade School near Harrisonburg Virginia

Harrisonburg VA electrician working on circuit boardThe initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Harrisonburg VA. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are a number of variables to evaluate. For instance, some potential students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have identified some that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications that must be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final decision when selecting an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are available.

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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs

Harrisonburg VA electrician on power line poleThere are three general approaches to receive electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Harrisonburg VA. 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 prevalent as the other three options. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Bellow are short explanations of the 3 most typical programs offered.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Virginia technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who would like to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
  • Associate Degree Programs involve two years to complete and are provided by Virginia junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Virginia colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Guidelines

Harrisonburg VA electrician wiring boxElectricians in Harrisonburg VA can perform a wide range of duties, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly about 4 to 5 years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be obtained in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you choose not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes

Harrisonburg VA student attending electrician school onlineAn option that you might have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, distance learning may be a more convenient alternative for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Driving expenses from Harrisonburg VA are also reduced and some of the study materials may be available on line as well. Each of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Questions to ask Harrisonburg VA electrician schoolsNow that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Harrisonburg VA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are additional variables that must be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation.  Many electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Harrisonburg VA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain an excellent education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It could also suggest that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to use 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 field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Harrisonburg VA grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs.  Many electrician vocational 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 inside their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Harrisonburg VA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local 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, talk to the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Harrisonburg VA electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Harrisonburg residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes.   It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with several of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling.  Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Harrisonburg VA, check that the programs you are considering 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, illness or family emergencies.

Train To Become An Electrician Harrisonburg Virginia

Harrisonburg VA electricians working on power linesChoosing the ideal electrical training program 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 Train To Become An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Diploma Online. But as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program provides different options for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Harrisonburg VA.

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    Harrisonburg, Virginia

    Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham County,[8] although the two are separate jurisdictions. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,914,[9] with a census-estimated 2016 population of 53,078.[10] The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Harrisonburg with Rockingham County for statistical purposes into the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a 2011 estimated population of 126,562.[11]

    Harrisonburg is home to James Madison University (JMU), a public research university with an enrollment of over 20,000 students,[12] and Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), a private, Mennonite-affiliated liberal arts university. Although the city has no historical association with President James Madison, JMU was nonetheless named in his honor as Madison College in 1938 and renamed as James Madison University in 1977.[13] EMU largely owes it existence to the sizable Mennonite population in the Shenandoah Valley, to which many Pennsylvania Dutch settlers arrived beginning in the mid-18th century in search of rich, unsettled farmland.[14]

    The city has become a bastion of ethnic and linguistic diversity in recent years. Over 1,900 refugees have been settled in Harrisonburg since 2002.[15] As of 2014, Hispanics or Latinos of any race comprise 19% of the city's population.[16]Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) students speak 55 languages in addition to English, with Spanish, Arabic, and Kurdish being the most common languages spoken.[17] Over one-third of HCPS students are English as a second language (ESL) learners.[18]Language learning software company Rosetta Stone was founded in Harrisonburg in 1992,[19] and the multilingual "Welcome Your Neighbors" yard sign originated in Harrisonburg in 2016.[15]

     

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