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Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Washington WV 26181

How to Become an Electrician in Washington West Virginia

Washington WV electrician inspecting circuit panelThe first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Washington WV. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are a number of variables to evaluate. For example, some students will start by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have located a few that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are important, they are not the sole things that should be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when picking an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are available.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near Washington WV

Washington WV electrician re-wiring power outletThere are three general ways to obtain electrician training in a trade or technical school near Washington WV. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the three most common programs offered.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by West Virginia technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
  • Associate Degrees involve 2 years to finish and are provided by West Virginia community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain West Virginia colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Guidelines

Washington WV electricians working on power linesElectricians in Washington WV can carry out a wide range of functions, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around four to five years of prior experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be earned in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails three 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 crucial that the electrician tech school that you pick not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Training Classes in Washington WV

attending electrician school online in Washington WVAn option that you might have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning might be a more convenient choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting expenses from Washington WV are also reduced and some of the study materials may be available online also. All of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Washington WV electrician re-wiring circuit panelOnce you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Washington WV region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other variables that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical tech school.

Accreditation.  A large number of electrician vocational programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Washington WV program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it 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 course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It might also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may produce 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 an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Washington WV graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs.  Many electrician vocational programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Washington WV area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Washington WV electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Washington residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes.   It’s important that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with several of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling.  Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Washington WV, check that the schools you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Washington WV?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Washington WV area.

Washington metropolitan area

The Washington metropolitan area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S. states of Maryland and Virginia, along with a small portion of West Virginia. While not a part of the Washington metropolitan area, St. Mary's County is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area.

The Washington metropolitan area is one of the most educated and most affluent metropolitan areas in the US.[6] The metro area anchors the southern end of the densely populated Northeast megalopolis with an estimated total population of 6,133,552 as of the 2016 U.S. Census Bureau estimate[update], making it the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the nation[7] and the largest metropolitan area in the Census Bureau's South Atlantic division.[8]

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines the area as the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV metropolitan statistical area, a metropolitan statistical area used for statistical purposes by the United States Census Bureau and other agencies. The region's three largest cities are the federal territory of Washington, D.C., the county (and census-designated place) of Arlington, and the independent city of Alexandria. The Office of Management and Budget also includes the metropolitan statistical area as part of the larger Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area, which has a population of 9,546,579 as of the 2014 Census Estimate.[9]

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Enroll in the Ideal Electrical Trade School near Washington WV

Selecting the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Washington WV.

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