How to Select the Right Electrician Vocational School near Stanley Virginia
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Stanley VA. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many points to evaluate. For example, many 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 decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the only qualifications that must be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final judgment when picking 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 training choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are three general options to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Stanley VA. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Virginia trade and technical schools and take 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 Degree Programs require two years to complete and are provided by Virginia community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Virginia colleges, but are less preferred 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 carried out before licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in Stanley VA can carry out a multitude of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes 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 usually about four to five years of experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be acquired in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves 3 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you pick not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Schools
A possibility that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs have become more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, distance learning may be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Travelling expenses from Stanley VA are also lessened and a portion of the study materials may be available online also. All of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Stanley VA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research before selecting an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Stanley VA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify 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 of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also mean that the instructors were not qualified to train 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 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 an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Stanley VA students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Stanley VA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Stanley VA electrical contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Stanley residence. Remember that if you decide to attend 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 important that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to some of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Stanley VA, verify that the programs you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Good Electrician Schools Stanley Virginia
Picking the ideal electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Good Electrician Schools and wanting more information on the topic Become A Licensed Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrical training program that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each program offers unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Stanley VA.
More Electric Locations in Virginia
Stanley, Virginia
The only primary highway directly serving Stanley is U.S. Route 340 Business, which is the main road northeast and southwest out of Stanley. To the northeast, US 340 Bus travels to Luray, rejoins U.S. Route 340, and continues northeast towards Front Royal. To the southwest, US 340 Bus rejoins US 340 and continues on to Shenandoah, Elkton and Waynesboro.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,326 people, 562 households, and 363 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,203.8 people per square mile (465.4/km²). There were 598 housing units at an average density of 542.9 per square mile (209.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.89% White, 1.28% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.49% of the population.
There were 562 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.95.
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