Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Oakdale IA 52319

How to Become an Electrician in Oakdale Iowa

Oakdale IA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Oakdale IA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are a number of factors to consider. For example, many potential students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have located some that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the only things that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should help mold your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Oakdale IA

Oakdale IA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several ways to receive electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Oakdale IA. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are brief summaries of the three most common programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Iowa trade and technical schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Iowa community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Iowa colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites

Oakdale IA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Oakdale IA can undertake a vast array of functions, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically about four to five years of experience is required in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be acquired in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 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 vocational school that you enroll in not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Schools in Oakdale IA

attending electrician school online in Oakdale IA An option that you may have contemplated is choosing an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools have become more prevalent as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning may be a more practical alternative for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Travelling costs from Oakdale IA are also minimized and some of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Oakdale IA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Oakdale IA region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional variables that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Oakdale IA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a superior education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course 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 finish the course. A low completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It might also mean that the teachers were not competent to train 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 directory of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to use 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 industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Oakdale IA graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Oakdale IA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Oakdale IA electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Oakdale residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger 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 teachers. Speak with some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Oakdale IA, verify that the programs you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Oakdale IA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Oakdale IA area.

Oakdale, Iowa

Oakdale was an unincorporated rural residential village established in 1908[2][3] by the State of Iowa as a statewide treatment center for tuberculosis (TB) in rural Johnson County, located about five miles northwest of central Iowa City and now a part of Coralville, immediately adjacent to the community of North Liberty.[4]

As a partially self-sustaining community, Oakdale included a depot on the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway (CRandIC) line,[6] power plant, several residential patient and staff buildings, pharmacy, postal, and administrative units, as well as associated facilities to support varied farming operations intended to help sustain the institution, including a large dairy.

Treatment protocols during much of Oakdale's more than half-century of operation included a regimen of rest, fresh air year around,[7] and a nutritious diet. Before its naming in 1839, TB had been called "consumption" during much of its 4,500-year history as a human disease dating from Babylonian writings and Egyptian mummies.

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Enroll in the Right Electrician Tech School near Oakdale IA

Choosing the right electrician trade school will probably be the most critical 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 schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical training program that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers unique options for certification as well. Probably the best approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you choose is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Oakdale IA.