How to Become an Electrician in Victoria Kansas
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Victoria KS. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are so many points to evaluate. For example, some prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their residence. After they have identified several that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the sole qualifications that need to be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician training 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 training choices that are offered.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Victoria KS
There are three general ways to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Victoria KS. You can select 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 other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the 3 most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically offered by Kansas vocational and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are provided by Kansas junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Kansas institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many 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, most students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Victoria KS can undertake a multitude of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be earned in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes three 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you pick not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online in Victoria KS
A possibility that you might have considered is choosing an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, distance learning can be a more convenient option for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Travelling expenses from Victoria KS are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be available online also. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Victoria KS area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Victoria KS school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many 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 considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also mean that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Victoria KS students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Victoria KS area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school 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 currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Victoria KS electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Victoria home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with some of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Victoria KS, check that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Victoria KS?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Victoria KS area.
Victoria, Kansas
A group of English and Scottish colonists led by a Scotsman named George Grant founded Victoria in 1873 on land he had purchased from the Kansas Pacific Railway. They named the settlement after Queen Victoria.[6] Grant intended for Victoria to be a ranching community and was purportedly responsible for bringing the first Aberdeen Angus cattle to the United States. Most of the colonists, however, were remittance men more interested in sports and dancing than in raising livestock. Their families soon learned of this and reduced the remittances, driving most of the colonists to leave by 1880. Some returned to Britain; others left for South America.[7][8][9]
In 1876, Volga Germans from villages near Saratov, Russia established the settlement of Herzog one half mile north of Victoria. Herzog's Roman Catholic settlers built a series of churches which culminated in the construction of St. Fidelis Catholic Church, known as "The Cathedral of the Plains," in 1911. Herzog grew rapidly and later absorbed Victoria, eventually adopting the older settlement's name. Herzog was officially renamed Victoria in 1913.[10]
In 1942, the U.S. Army built Walker Army Airfield 3 miles northeast of Victoria. During World War II, thousands were stationed at the airfield, most for training in operation of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber aircraft. The military closed the base in 1946.[11]
Select the Right Electrical Vocational School near Victoria KS
Picking the ideal electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite 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 own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides different options for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Victoria KS.
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