Electrical Technology Schools Locust Dale VA - Find Electrician Training Near You

How to Find the Best Electrician Trade School near Locust Dale Virginia

Locust Dale VA electrician working on circuit board The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Locust Dale VA. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are a number of points to examine. For instance, many prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their home. After they have located a few that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the only things that need to be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision 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 being an electrician and the instructional choices that are offered.

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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options

Locust Dale VA electrician on power line pole There are several approaches to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Locust Dale VA. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the 3 most typical programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Virginia technical and trade schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards students who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require two years to complete and are provided by Virginia community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Virginia institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed before licensing. Therefore, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines

Locust Dale VA electrician wiring box Electricians in Locust Dale VA can undertake a vast array of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be obtained in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves three levels of competency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying organizations 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 tech school that you choose not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online

Locust Dale VA student attending electrician school online An option that you might have considered is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, distance learning may be a more convenient option for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Driving costs from Locust Dale VA are also minimized and some of the study materials may be accessed on line also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Questions to ask Locust Dale VA electrician schools Now that you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Locust Dale VA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Locust Dale 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 make certain that you receive a quality education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states require 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate could signify that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also suggest that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, 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 confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Locust Dale VA graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Locust Dale VA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already 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 Locust Dale VA electrical contractor if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Locust Dale residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some 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 assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Locust Dale VA, check that the programs you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.

Electrical Technology Schools Locust Dale Virginia

Locust Dale VA electricians working on power lines Choosing the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin 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 covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the curriculum 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 decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you pick is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Locust Dale VA.