Train To Be Electrician Springfield WI - Find Electrician Training Near You

How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Technical School near Springfield Wisconsin

Springfield WI electrician working on circuit board The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Springfield WI. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are so many factors to examine. For example, many prospective students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have found a few that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the sole things that need to be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your ultimate decision when picking an electrician school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are available.

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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options

Springfield WI electrician on power line pole There are multiple ways to receive electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Springfield WI. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are brief explanations of the 3 most common programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Wisconsin technical and trade schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards students who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are provided by Wisconsin community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some Wisconsin institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements

Springfield WI electrician wiring box Electricians in Springfield WI can perform a multitude of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly around four to five years of prior experience is required in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be earned in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 3 levels of competency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying agencies 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 tech school that you choose not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online

Springfield WI student attending electrician school online An alternative that you might have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools have become more popular as a way 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 receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning can be a more accommodating choice for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Driving expenses from Springfield WI are also minimized and some of the study materials may be accessed on line also. Each of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Questions to ask Springfield WI electrician schools Once you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Springfield WI area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. Many electrician trade programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Springfield WI program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you get an excellent education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate could signify that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also indicate 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 more extensive list of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Springfield WI students secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Springfield WI area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Springfield WI electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Springfield home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with several of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications 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 at night or on weekends near Springfield WI, confirm that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.

Train To Be Electrician Springfield Wisconsin

Springfield WI electricians working on power lines Picking the best electrical training program 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 Train To Be Electrician and wanting more information on the topic How To Become An Electrician. But as we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you select is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Springfield WI.