How to Find the Best Electrician Technical School near Morgantown West Virginia
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Morgantown WV. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are so many factors to examine. For instance, many prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have found a few that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final judgment 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 accessible.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are three general options to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Morgantown WV. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. In many cases these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Bellow are short summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by West Virginia vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to complete and are offered by West Virginia junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain West Virginia colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Morgantown WV can undertake a multitude of services, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about four to five years of prior experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be obtained in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails three 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 crucial that the electrician vocational school that you pick not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online
An option that you might have contemplated is selecting an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning can be a more convenient alternative for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Travelling costs from Morgantown WV are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Morgantown WV region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other variables that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Morgantown WV school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved 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 finish the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It may also signify that the teachers were not qualified 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 list of graduates, which can result in 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 trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Morgantown WV grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Morgantown WV area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Morgantown WV electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Morgantown 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 fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to several of the students and get their comments regarding 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 hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Morgantown WV, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain 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 issues.
What Do I Need To Do To Become An Electrician Morgantown West Virginia
Selecting the ideal electrician trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in What Do I Need To Do To Become An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Class. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration 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 program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Morgantown WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in, and the county seat of, Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, situated along the Monongahela River. West Virginia University is located in the city. The population was 31,073 at the 2015 Census Bureau estimates, making Morgantown the largest city in North-Central West Virginia. The Morgantown metropolitan area has a population of 138,176.
Morgantown is closely tied to the Anglo-French struggle for this territory. Until the Treaty of Paris in 1763, what is now known as Morgantown was greatly contested by white settlers and Native Americans, and by British and French soldiers. The treaty decided the issue in favor of the British, but Indian fighting continued almost to the beginning of the American Revolutionary War in 1775.
Zackquill Morgan, son of Morgan Morgan, and his brother David entered the area of Virginia that would become Morgantown around 1767, although others such as Thomas Decker are recorded as attempting settlements in the area a decade earlier. As well, several forts were built in the area during this time: Fort Pierpont near the Cheat River, in 1769; Fort Coburn, near Dorsey's Knob, in 1770. Fort Morgan, at the present site of Morgantown, in 1772; Fort Dinwiddie, north several miles at Stewartstown, in 1772; Fort Martin, several miles north on the Monongahela River, in 1773; Fort Burris in the present-day Suncrest area of Morgantown, in 1774; and Fort Kern in the present-day Greenmont area of Morgantown, in 1774, in addition to other, smaller forts.
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