How to Choose the Right Electrician Trade School near Lexington Virginia
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Lexington VA. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are so many points to examine. For instance, some prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have found several that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the sole qualifications that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician trade 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 training options that are accessible.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are multiple ways to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Lexington VA. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are short explanations of the three most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Virginia vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards students who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take two years to finish and are offered by Virginia community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Virginia institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be completed before licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Lexington VA can undertake a wide range 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 mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally about four to five years of experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be earned in several specializations, such as 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only delivers a strong educational 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 Programs
An alternative that you might have looked at is selecting an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning might be a more practical alternative for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting expenses from Lexington VA are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be available online also. All of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Lexington VA area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first 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 a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs 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. Make certain that the Lexington VA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it 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 or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate might suggest that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It may also mean that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Lexington VA graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Lexington VA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Lexington VA electrical company if they can provide some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Lexington residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to some of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the instructors and find out 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 meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Lexington VA, verify that the programs you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Night School Electrical Courses Lexington Virginia
Selecting the right electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Night School Electrical Courses and wanting more information on the topic How To Become A Electrician. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each program provides unique options for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Lexington VA.
More Electric Locations in Virginia
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 7,042.[5] It is the county seat of Rockbridge County,[6] although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Lexington (along with nearby Buena Vista) with Rockbridge County for statistical purposes. Lexington is about 57 miles (92 km) east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles (80 km) north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.
Lexington was named in 1778. It was the first of what would be many American places named after Lexington, Massachusetts, known for being the place at which the first shot was fired in the American Revolution.[7]
The Union General David Hunter led a raid on Virginia Military Institute during the American Civil War. Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson are buried here. It is the site of the only house Jackson ever owned, now open to the public as a museum. Cyrus McCormick invented the horse-drawn mechanical reaper at his family's farm in Rockbridge County, and a statue of McCormick is located on the Washington and Lee University campus. McCormick Farm is now owned by Virginia Tech and is a satellite agricultural research center.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 10
2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
11 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
25 Reviews 