How to Select the Right Electrician Vocational School near Wallace West Virginia
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Wallace WV. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of variables to examine. For example, some students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have found some that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important, they are not the only qualifications that should be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are three general ways to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Wallace WV. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are short explanations of the three most prevalent programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by West Virginia vocational and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards students who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to finish and are offered by West Virginia community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some West Virginia institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Wallace WV can perform a multitude of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to 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 normally around four to five years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be obtained in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases entails 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 important that the electrician tech school that you pick not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Schools
A possibility that you may have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools have become more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning can be a more convenient choice for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Driving costs from Wallace WV are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be available online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Wallace WV region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned 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 even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional factors that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Wallace WV school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you receive a quality education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate could suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It may also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high 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 employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Wallace WV students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Wallace WV area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Wallace WV electrical company if they can provide some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Wallace residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Wallace WV, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Fastest Way To Become An Electrician Wallace West Virginia
Choosing the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Fastest Way To Become An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Accredited Electrician Training Programs. But as we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are assessing includes a lot 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 provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Wallace WV.
More Electric Locations in West Virginia
Wallace E. Boston Jr.
Dr. Wallace E. Boston Jr. is CEO of Charles Town, WV-based American Public Education, Inc. (APEI), parent company of American Public University System (APUS) [1] and author of wallyboston.com.[2] He joined APUS as Executive VP and CFO in September 2002, and was promoted to President and CEO in June 2004.[3] In that role, and as a member of the APUS Board of Trustees, he led efforts to achieve Title IV participation and regional accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association in 2006, and also to achieve specialty accreditation for certain degree programs such as business administration.[3] Dr. Boston guided APUS through its accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association in 2006, and in 2007, he led APEI to a successful initial public offering on the NASDAQ Exchange.[4] In 2010, Dr. Boston was interviewed by the New York Times for striking a strategic agreement for APUS to provide distance education services for Walmart Associates.[5]
During his tenure, the university has grown from 10,000 students to more than 70,000 alumni worldwide, and 200 degree and certificate programs. His leadership has been instrumental in APUS’s receiving multiple recognitions for academic quality and effective practices in online education by U.S. News & World Report and the Online Learning Consortium, among many other respected national organizations.[3] In addition, he was a charter signer of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment initiative which has driven APUS’s ongoing green building construction and energy conservation practices in the greater Charles Town and Ranson, WV communities.[3] In July 2016, Dr. Boston was succeeded as APUS president by former Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Karan Powell, while continuing his leadership role as CEO of APEI to provide strategic and leadership support to APUS, Hondros College of Nursing, and other APEI ventures. In April 2017, he was named APUS President Emeritus[6]
Prior to Joining APUS, Dr. Boston served as CFO of Sun Healthcare Group from August 2001 to February 2002, and Principal Financial Officer in March 2002. He was hired to restructure the company, implementing cost reductions, an exit financing package and a reorganization plan three months after joining the company. He was previously President and CEO of NeighborCare Pharmacies from November 1999 to May 2001, where he led a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of the parent company. As Executive VP and COO from July 1998 to November 1999, he led a team that integrated the acquisition of Vitalink Pharmacy Services, Inc.[4]
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