Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Stratford CT 06497

How to Become an Electrician in Stratford Connecticut

Stratford CT electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Stratford CT. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are a number of factors to evaluate. For instance, some potential students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have located several that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the sole things that need to be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your final judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near Stratford CT

Stratford CT electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general ways to get electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Stratford CT. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are short summaries of the three most typical programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Connecticut trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are offered by Connecticut community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Connecticut institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria

Stratford CT electricians working on power lines Electricians in Stratford CT can undertake a multitude of functions, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about four to five years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be earned in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes three 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 enroll in not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Training Classes Online in Stratford CT

attending electrician school online in Stratford CT An option that you may have considered is choosing an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more practical choice for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Travelling expenses from Stratford CT are also minimized and some of the study materials may be available online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Stratford CT electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Stratford CT area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program 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 needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Stratford CT school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure 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 schools. Additionally, 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate may indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It could also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader 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 affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Stratford CT grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught together 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 electrician businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Stratford CT area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Stratford CT electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Stratford home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the teachers and learn 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 assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Stratford CT, check that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Stratford CT?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Stratford CT area.

Stratford, Connecticut

Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is situated on Long Island Sound along Connecticut's "Gold Coast" at the mouth of the Housatonic River. Stratford is in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was founded by Puritans in 1639.

The population was 51,384 as of the 2010 census.[1] It has a historical legacy in aviation, the military, and theater. Stratford is bordered on the west by Bridgeport, to the north by Trumbull and Shelton, and on the east by Milford (across the Housatonic River).

Stratford was founded in 1639 by Puritan leader Reverend Adam Blakeman, William Beardsley, and either 16 families (according to legend) or approximately 35 families (suggested by later research) who had recently arrived in Connecticut from England seeking religious freedom. In 1639 the General Court in Hartford made reference to the town as the "new plantation at Pequannock".[2] In 1640 the community was known as Cupheag, a Native American Paugussett word meaning "at the enclosed place" or "place of shelter".[3] By April 13, 1643, the growing town was known as Stratford, changed to honor William Shakespeare's birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon in England.[4]

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Choose the Right Electrical Tech School near Stratford CT

Picking the ideal electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification as well. Probably The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Stratford CT.