How to Become an Electrician in Homerville Georgia
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Homerville GA. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are so many points to consider. For instance, some prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will decide on the one with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are available.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Homerville GA
There are multiple ways to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Homerville GA. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short explanations of the three most typical programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by Georgia technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by Georgia community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Georgia colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be performed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Homerville GA can carry out a vast array of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around four to five years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be earned in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases entails 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 solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes in Homerville GA
An option that you may have looked at is choosing an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools are becoming more accepted as a means 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 obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more convenient option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Travelling costs from Homerville GA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Homerville GA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional factors that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Homerville GA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order 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 percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It may also mean that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Homerville GA grads secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Homerville GA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Homerville GA electrical company if they can provide some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Homerville home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to some of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Homerville GA, verify that the schools you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Homerville GA?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Homerville GA area.
Homerville, Georgia
Homerville is a city in Clinch County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,456 at the 2010 census,[4] a decrease of 12.38% from its population of 2,803 in 2000. The city is the county seat of Clinch County.[5] Homerville was incorporated February 15, 1869.
Clinch County was created on February 14, 1850, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, and was named for General Duncan Lamont Clinch, a decorated United States brigadier general and Georgia congressman who had recently died. Clinch, Georgia's 95th county, was formed from land originally inhabited by the Oconee people and consolidated portions of Ware County and Lowndes County. The act creating the county named Elijah Mattox, Simon W. Nichol, Timothy Kirkland, Benjamin Sirmans, and John J. Johnson as commissioners charged with selecting a county seat and constructing a courthouse.
The designated commissioners quickly settled on a site just southwest of the present-day Homerville, and in memory of President James K. Polk decided to name the county seat "Polk". Two years later, however, the Georgia General Assembly inexplicably changed the name of the county seat to "Magnolia", just as the county's first courthouse was completed. The first courthouse was quite small and was destroyed in 1856 when a citizen, presumably dissatisfied with legal proceedings brought against him, decided to destroy the courthouse by fire.
Choose the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Homerville GA
Picking the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Homerville GA.
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