How to Choose the Right Electrician Vocational School near Athens West Virginia
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Athens WV. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many factors to evaluate. For example, some students will start by searching for schools that are close to their home. After they have identified a few that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though location and cost are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your final judgment when choosing an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are accessible.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are several approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Athens WV. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Often these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the three most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by West Virginia technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards those who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take 2 years to complete and are offered by West Virginia community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some West Virginia institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be performed before licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Athens WV can undertake a wide range of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing 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 period of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about four to five years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually 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 him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be acquired in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves 3 levels of proficiency:
- 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 trade school that you enroll in not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs
An option that you may have looked at is choosing an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more practical alternative for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting costs from Athens WV are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Vocational 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 numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Athens WV area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we discussed 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 need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have attained 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 pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Athens WV program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It may also signify 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 more extensive directory of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to employ 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 trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Athens WV students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Athens WV area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies employment 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 up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Athens WV electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Athens residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with some of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Athens WV, verify that the schools you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Electrician Class Athens West Virginia
Choosing the right electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Class and wanting more information on the topic School Electrician. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Athens WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
Athens, West Virginia
Athens is a town in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,048 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578. Athens is the home of Concord University.
Athens is located at 37°25′26″N 81°00′48″W / 37.423849°N 81.013363°W / 37.423849; -81.013363 (37.423849, -81.013363).[9] The town is situated on a bluff above Laurel Creek, a tributary of the Bluestone River. The campus of Concord University lies at the eastern end of town. West Virginia Route 20 (State Street) traverses Athens, connecting the town with Princeton to the southwest and the rural towns along New River to the northeast.
The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Athens has a marine west coast climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.[11]
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