How to Enroll in the Right Electrician Trade School near Salem West Virginia
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Salem WV. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are so many points to examine. For example, many potential students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have located several that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant, they are not the only factors that must be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your ultimate decision when picking an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options
There are several ways to receive electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Salem WV. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief explanations of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by West Virginia trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards students who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take 2 years to finish and are offered by West Virginia junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain West Virginia institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Because of that, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in Salem WV can carry out a vast array of functions, including 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 required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be earned in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 3 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online
An alternative that you might have contemplated is choosing an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more accommodating alternative for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Travelling costs from Salem WV are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Salem WV region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, 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 research before enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Salem WV program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you get a superior education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate could signify that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It may also suggest that the instructors were not competent 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 can mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Salem WV grads acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Salem WV area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Salem WV electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Salem residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive 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 observe how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Salem WV, verify that the programs you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.
Best Electrician Schools Salem West Virginia
Selecting the best electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Best Electrician Schools and wanting more information on the topic How Many Years Of College To Be An Electrician. But as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to attend 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, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Salem WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
Salem, West Virginia
Salem is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,586 at the 2010 census. It is located at the junction of U.S. Route 50 and West Virginia Route 23; the North Bend Rail Trail passes through the city.[6]Salem University is located in Salem.
Salem is located at 39°17′0″N 80°33′46″W / 39.28333°N 80.56278°W / 39.28333; -80.56278 (39.283411, -80.562731),[7] along Salem Fork, a tributary of Tenmile Creek.,[6] in western Harrison County
Salem was settled in the summer of 1790 — as "New Salem" — by forty Seventh Day Baptist families from Shrewsbury, New Jersey. Notable settler family names included Lippincott, Maxson, Babcock, Plumer, Davis, and Randolph. New Salem was formally chartered and made a town by legislative enactment of the Virginia Assembly on December 19, 1794, on land owned by Samuel Fitz Randolph. John Patterson, John Davis, Samuel Lippincott, James Davis, Zebulon Maxon, Benjamin Thorp, Thomas Clayton, William Davis, Jacob Davis, George Jackson and John Haymond were appointed its first trustees.
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