How to Become an Electrician in Mount Sterling Kentucky
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Mount Sterling KY. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are so many variables to examine. For instance, some prospective students will start by searching for schools that are close to their home. When they have identified several that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the only things that must be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are offered.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Mount Sterling KY
There are multiple options to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Mount Sterling KY. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Following are short explanations of the three most prevalent programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Kentucky technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Kentucky junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Kentucky 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 in most cases four years be completed before licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Mount Sterling KY can perform a vast array of duties, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about four to five years of prior experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually assess electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be obtained in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails three levels of competency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Training Classes in Mount Sterling KY
An alternative that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, internet learning might be a more convenient choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Driving costs from Mount Sterling KY are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Mount Sterling KY area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research before selecting an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Mount Sterling KY school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you receive a quality education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing 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 indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It could also mean that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Mount Sterling KY graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Mount Sterling KY area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Mount Sterling KY electrical company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Mount Sterling home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to some of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Mount Sterling KY, check that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Mount Sterling KY?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Mount Sterling KY area.
Mount Sterling, Kentucky
Mount Sterling – often written as Mt. Sterling[3] – is a home rule-class city[4] in Montgomery County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 6,895 at the 2010 U.S. census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County and the principal city of the Mount Sterling micropolitan area.
Mount Sterling is named for an ancient burial mound called Little Mountain, and for the town of Stirling in Scotland. It was named by the first developer of the area, Hugh Forbes. The Kentucky Assembly passed an act in 1792 establishing the town as Mt. Sterling, a misspelling which was retained.[5]
The area was originally part of the thick wilderness of central Kentucky. Explorers, hunters, and surveyors traveling along a trail called Old Harper's Trace noted a 125-foot-high tree-covered mound which they called The Little Mountain. Later excavations showed it to be a burial site. The site of the mound is now the intersection of Queen and Locust Streets in Mt. Sterling.
Find the Ideal Electrical Tech School near Mount Sterling KY
Choosing the right electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. 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 current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program provides different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Mount Sterling KY.
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