How to Become an Electrician in Key West Florida
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Key West FL. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are so many points to consider. For example, many prospective 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. Although cost and location are of importance, they are not the only factors that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are available.
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near Key West FL
There are multiple options to get electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Key West FL. You can 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. In many cases these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the three most typical programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Florida vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who wish to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to complete and are provided by Florida junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Florida colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Key West FL can perform a wide range of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually around 4 to 5 years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be earned in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you select not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools in Key West FL
An alternative that you might have contemplated is selecting an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning can be a more practical alternative for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Travelling costs from Key West FL are also minimized and some of the study materials can be available online as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Key West FL region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other variables that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Key West FL school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you get an excellent education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. 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 schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate might suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It could also signify that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which can produce 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 an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Key West FL graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Key West FL area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Key West FL electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Key West home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk to several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Key West FL, verify that the programs you are looking at 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, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Key West FL?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Key West FL area.
Key West
Key West (Spanish: Cayo Hueso) is an island and city in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent, at the southwesternmost end of the roadway through the Florida Keys in the state of Florida, United States. The island is about 4 miles (6.4 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide, with a total land mass of 4.2 square miles (11 km2).[5]Duval Street, its main street, is 1.1 miles (1.8 km) in length in its 14-block-long crossing from the Gulf of Mexico to the Straits of Florida and the Atlantic Ocean. The island is 3,370 acres (13.6 km2) in area.[6] Key West is about 95 miles (153 km) north of Cuba at their closest points.[7][8]
The city is the county seat of Monroe County.[9] The city boundaries include the island of Key West and all or part of several nearby islands. Key West is the southernmost city in the contiguous United States and the southern terminus of U.S. Route 1, State Road A1A, the East Coast Greenway and, before 1935, the Florida East Coast Railway.
Key West is 129 miles (208 km) southwest of Miami by air,[10] about 160 miles (260 km) by car, and 106 miles (171 km) north-northeast of Havana.[11] Key West is a port of call for many passenger cruise ships.[12] The Key West International Airport provides airline service. Naval Air Station Key West is an important year round training site for naval aviation due to the tropical weather, which is also the reason Key West was chosen as the Winter White House of President Harry S. Truman. The central business district is located along Duval Street and includes much of the northwestern corner of the island. The official city motto is "One Human Family."
Enroll in the Right Electrician Trade School near Key West FL
Picking the ideal electrical training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical training program that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Key West FL.
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