How to Pick the Best Electrician Technical School near Lancaster Virginia
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Lancaster VA. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are so many factors to consider. For example, some potential students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have identified a few that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. Even though cost and location are significant, they are not the sole things that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are three general options to get electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Lancaster VA. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the three most typical programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Virginia vocational and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to complete and are provided by Virginia junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Virginia colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Lancaster VA can perform a multitude of tasks, such as 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 become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about four to five years of prior experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be obtained in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes three 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 crucial that the electrician tech school that you pick not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online
A possibility that you might have looked at is selecting an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools have become more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, internet learning might be a more accommodating alternative for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Commuting costs from Lancaster VA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Lancaster VA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are additional factors that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Lancaster VA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire an excellent education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Also, 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 considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate could indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It may also suggest 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 can mean 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 field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Lancaster VA students acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician training programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Lancaster VA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional 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 already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Lancaster VA electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Lancaster residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees 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 attend classes at night or on weekends near Lancaster VA, check that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.
Online Electrical Training Courses Lancaster Virginia
Picking the best electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Online Electrical Training Courses and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Technical Schools. But as we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Lancaster VA.
More Electric Locations in Virginia
Lancaster, Virginia
Lancaster is an unincorporated community in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Virginia, United States.[1] Lancaster lies along State Route 3. The community is also known as Lancaster Courthouse or by an alternative spelling, Lancaster Court House.
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