How to Choose the Best Electrician Trade School near Princeton West Virginia
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Princeton WV. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many factors to evaluate. For instance, many prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. After they have located a few that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole things that need to be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician school. We will address 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 training choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are several options to obtain electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Princeton WV. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. In many cases these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are short summaries of the three most typical programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by West Virginia vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards students who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require two years to finish and are provided by West Virginia community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some West Virginia institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines
Electricians in Princeton WV can carry out a vast array of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around four to five years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be earned in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools
An option that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning might be a more convenient choice for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Driving costs from Princeton WV are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Princeton WV area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other factors that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Princeton WV school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. 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 schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could signify that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also mean that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Princeton WV grads acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Princeton WV area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Princeton WV electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Princeton residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm 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 in the evening or on weekends near Princeton WV, check that the programs you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Electrician Technical School Princeton West Virginia
Picking the right electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Technical School and wanting more information on the topic Training Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers different possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Princeton WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
Princeton, West Virginia
Princeton, is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, West Virginia, United States.[6] The population was 6,432 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342. The town hosts the Princeton Rays baseball club of the Appalachian League.
In southern West Virginia, in the late 19th century, coal mining and transportation by the emerging technology of the railroads combined to form a new industry. Much of the region's bituminous coal was sent northwest to the Great Lakes, or northeast to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's coal piers at Baltimore, or to the world's greatest ice-free port of Hampton Roads in eastern Virginia.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway's coal piers were located at Newport News. Across the harbor, the Norfolk and Western Railway's coal piers were located on the Elizabeth River in Norfolk. The eastern-bound coal transported by the C&O and the N&W railroads was highly valued for local use and for steam-powered ships, notably those of the U.S. Navy. Loaded into large ships called colliers, the West Virginia "smokeless coal" was sent in coast-wise shipping to the Northeastern U.S. points such as New York City and New England, as well as exported to other countries worldwide.
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