How to Become an Electrician in Wood South Dakota
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Wood SD. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are a number of variables to evaluate. For instance, many prospective students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have identified several that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the sole factors that need to be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are accessible.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Wood SD
There are multiple ways to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Wood SD. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most typical programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by South Dakota trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve two years to complete and are provided by South Dakota junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some South Dakota institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria
Electricians in Wood SD can perform a multitude of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be obtained in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools in Wood SD
An alternative that you may have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs have become more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning can be a more convenient alternative for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Driving costs from Wood SD are also lessened and a portion of the study materials may be available on line as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Wood SD region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about 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 although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Wood SD school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order 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 or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It could also mean that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list 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 a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Wood SD grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Wood SD area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Wood SD electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Wood residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition charges 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 monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Wood SD, verify that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Wood SD?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Wood SD area.
Whitewood, South Dakota
As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 927 people, 374 households, and 232 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,448.4 inhabitants per square mile (559.2/km2). There were 392 housing units at an average density of 612.5 per square mile (236.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.9% White, 0.8% African American, 3.7% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population.
There were 374 households of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.0% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.05.
The median age in the city was 38.8 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.7% were from 25 to 44; 28.8% were from 45 to 64; and 14.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.
Pick the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Wood SD
Selecting the right electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical training that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers different possibilities for certification also. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak 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 training program you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Wood SD.
Other Cool Cities in South Dakota
Business Results 1 - 10 of 0
