How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Technical School near Blair West Virginia
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Blair WV. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to consider. For example, some potential students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their home. After they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will decide on the one with the lowest tuition. Even though cost and location are significant, they are not the sole qualifications that should be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are available.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are several options to receive electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Blair WV. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Following are brief summaries of the three most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by West Virginia technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to complete and are provided by West 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 join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain West Virginia institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Most 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 begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Blair WV can carry out a wide range of functions, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with 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 typically about four to five years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in numerous specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves three levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician tech school that you select not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Programs Online
A possibility that you may have looked at is selecting an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning can be a more accommodating option for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Travelling expenses from Blair WV are also lessened and a portion of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Blair WV area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other variables that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Blair WV program is 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 acquire a superior education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Also, some 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 looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate might signify that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Blair WV grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational 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 Blair WV area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Blair WV electrical company if they can provide some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Blair home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with a few of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Blair WV, verify that the programs you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Become A Certified Electrician Blair West Virginia
Choosing the best electrical training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Become A Certified Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Online Courses For Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every training program offers unique options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Blair WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
Battle of Blair Mountain
The conflict occurred in Logan County, West Virginia, as part of the Coal Wars, a series of early-20th-century labor disputes in Appalachia. Tensions rose between workers and mine management, and for five days from late August to early September 1921, some 10,000 armed coal miners confronted 3,000 lawmen and strikebreakers, called the Logan Defenders,[4] who were backed by coal mine operators during the miners' attempt to unionize the southwestern West Virginia coalfields. The battle ended after approximately one million rounds were fired[5] and the United States Army intervened by presidential order.[6] Up to 100 people were killed, and many more arrested. The United Mine Workers saw major declines in membership, but the long-term publicity led to some improvements in working conditions.
On May 19, 1920, 12 Baldwin-Felts agents, including Lee Felts, arrived in Matewan, West Virginia and promptly met with Albert Felts, who was already in the area. Albert and Lee were the brothers of Thomas Felts, the co-owner and director of the agency. Albert had already been in the area and had tried to bribe Mayor Testerman with $500 to place machine guns on roofs in the town; Testerman refused.[7] That afternoon Albert and Lee along with 11 other men set out to the Stone Mountain Coal Co. property. The first family they evicted was a woman and her children; the woman's husband was not home at the time. They forced them out at gunpoint and threw their belongings in the road under a light but steady rain. The miners who saw it were furious, and sent word to town.[8]
As the agents walked to the train station to leave town, Police Chief Sid Hatfield and a group of deputized miners confronted them and told them they were under arrest. Albert Felts replied that in fact he had a warrant for Hatfield's arrest.[9] Testerman was alerted, and he ran out into the street after a miner shouted that Sid had been arrested. Hatfield backed into the store and Testerman asked to see the warrant. After reviewing it, the mayor exclaimed, "This is a bogus warrant." With these words, a gunfight erupted and Hatfield shot Albert Felts. Testerman and Albert and Lee Felts were among the ten men killed (three from the town and seven from the agency).[9]
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