Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Hays KS 67601

How to Become an Electrician in Hays Kansas

Hays KS electrician inspecting circuit panelThe first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Hays KS. But with so many technical 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 points to consider. For instance, many students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have located some that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that should be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Hays KS

Hays KS electrician re-wiring power outletThere are several ways to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Hays KS. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are brief summaries of the 3 most typical programs available.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by Kansas trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards students who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
  • Associate Degree Programs involve two years to complete and are provided by Kansas junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Kansas institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines

Hays KS electricians working on power linesElectricians in Hays KS can perform 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 finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be obtained in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 3 levels of proficiency:

  • An experience requirement
  • Passing a written exam
  • Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you pick not only delivers a strong 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 Programs Online in Hays KS

attending electrician school online in Hays KSAn alternative that you might have contemplated is selecting an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, internet learning can be a more accommodating choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Driving costs from Hays KS are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Hays KS electrician re-wiring circuit panelNow that you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Hays KS area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional variables that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical trade school.

Accreditation.  Numerous electrician technical schools have acquired 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, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Hays KS program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Also, many states mandate 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 considering 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 could indicate that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It could also mean that the instructors 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 produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Hays KS graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs.  A large number of electrician trade programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Hays KS area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Hays KS electrical company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Hays residence. Take note that if you decide to attend 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 important that you get as much personalized 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 witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to some of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling.  Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Hays KS, verify that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, find out 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 Hays KS?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Hays KS area.

Hays, Kansas

Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States.[5] The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region.[6][7] It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University.[8] As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,510.[9]

Prior to American settlement of the area, the site of Hays was located near where the territories of the Arapaho, Kiowa, and Pawnee met.[10] Claimed first by France as part of Louisiana and later acquired by the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, it lay within the area organized by the U.S. as Kansas Territory in 1854.[11][12] Kansas became a state in 1861, and the state government delineated the surrounding area as Ellis County in 1867.[11][13]

In 1865, the U.S. Army established Fort Fletcher southeast of present-day Hays to protect stagecoaches traveling the Smoky Hill Trail. A year later, the Army renamed the post Fort Hays in honor of the late Brig. Gen. Alexander Hays.[14] In late 1866, anticipating the construction of the Kansas Pacific Railway as far west as Fort Hays, a party from St. Louis, Missouri led by William Webb selected three sections of land for colonization near the fort.[15] In June 1867, to better serve the railroad, the Army relocated Fort Hays 15 miles northwest to a site near where the railroad was to cross Big Creek, a tributary of the Smoky Hill River. Seeing a business opportunity, Buffalo Bill Cody and railroad contractor William Rose founded the settlement of Rome, Kansas near the fort's new location. Within a month, the population of Rome grew to over 2,000. Webb, meanwhile, established the Big Creek Land Company and then surveyed and platted a town site, which he named Hays City after the fort, roughly one mile east of Rome. The railroad reached Hays City soon thereafter and constructed a depot there. The railroad's arrival, combined with a cholera epidemic that hit Rome in the late summer of 1867, drove Rome businesses and residents to relocate to Hays City. Within a year, Rome was completely abandoned.[16][17] As the western terminus of the railway, Hays City grew rapidly, serving as the supply point for territories to the west and southwest.[15][18]

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Find the Right Electrical Tech School near Hays KS

Choosing the best electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Hays KS.

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