Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Wilmington CA 90744

How to Become an Electrician in Wilmington California

Wilmington CA electrician inspecting circuit panelThe initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Wilmington CA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many variables to evaluate. For example, many students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have located a few that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the only factors that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final judgment when choosing an electrician training school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are available.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Wilmington CA

Wilmington CA electrician re-wiring power outletThere are multiple ways to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Wilmington CA. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Often these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are brief descriptions of the 3 most prevalent programs available.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by California vocational and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
  • Associate Degrees take two years to finish and are provided by California junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some California colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites

Wilmington CA electricians working on power linesElectricians in Wilmington CA can perform a vast array of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically around 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be acquired in several specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves 3 levels of competency:

  • 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 tech school that you pick not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Schools in Wilmington CA

attending electrician school online in Wilmington CAAn alternative that you might have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs have become more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting expenses from Wilmington CA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line also. Each of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Wilmington CA electrician re-wiring circuit panelWhen you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Wilmington CA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature 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 also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical trade school.

Accreditation.  Numerous electrician trade programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Wilmington CA 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 make certain that you acquire an excellent education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training program 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It could also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Wilmington CA grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs.  Many electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Wilmington CA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing 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 school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Wilmington CA electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Wilmington residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes.   It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to a few of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling.  Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Wilmington CA, verify that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Wilmington CA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Wilmington CA area.

Wilmington, Los Angeles

Wilmington dates its history back to a 1784 Spanish land grant. It became a separate city in 1863, and it joined the city of Los Angeles in 1909. Places of interest include the headquarters U.S. Army for Southern California and the Drum Barracks built to protect the nascent Los Angeles harbor during the American Civil War.

A total of 53,815 people were living within Wilmington's 9.14 square miles, according to the 2010 U.S. census—averaging 5,887 people per square mile, among the lowest population densities in the city as a whole. The median age was 28. The percentages of people from birth through age 34 were among the county's highest. Population was estimated at 54,512 in 2008.[3]

Wilmington is not considered very diverse ethnically, with a diversity index of 0.245.[4] In 2000, Latinos made up 86.6% of the population, while whites were at 6.4%, Asians at 4.8%, blacks at 2.6% and others at 1.7%. Mexico and Guatemala were the most common places of birth for the 44.5% of the residents who were born abroad, considered a high percentage of foreign-born when compared with the city and the county as a whole.[3]

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Select the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Wilmington CA

Picking the best electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are many factors 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 evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every training program provides different options for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Wilmington CA.

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