Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Baton Rouge LA 70801

How to Become an Electrician in Baton Rouge Louisiana

Baton Rouge LA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Baton Rouge LA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are a number of points to evaluate. For example, many potential students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have located a few that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the only factors that need to be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your final judgment when picking an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are available.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Baton Rouge LA

Baton Rouge LA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several options to get electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Baton Rouge LA. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Following are short summaries of the 3 most typical programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Louisiana trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to complete and are provided by Louisiana junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Louisiana institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out before licensing. Because of that, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites

Baton Rouge LA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Baton Rouge LA can undertake a wide range of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about four to five years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be obtained in numerous specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes 3 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you select not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might be required to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Training Classes Online in Baton Rouge LA

attending electrician school online in Baton Rouge LA An option that you may have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools have become more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, distance learning may be a more convenient choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Travelling expenses from Baton Rouge LA are also lessened and some of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Baton Rouge LA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Baton Rouge LA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Baton Rouge LA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire an excellent education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some states require 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It may also mean that the teachers 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 more extensive list of graduates, which can produce 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 Baton Rouge LA grads secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Baton Rouge LA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain 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 currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Baton Rouge LA electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Baton Rouge residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers and learn 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 reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Baton Rouge LA, verify that the schools you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Baton Rouge LA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Baton Rouge LA area.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge (/ˌbætən ˈruːʒ/ BAT-ən ROOZH; from French bâton rouge [bɑtɔ̃ ʁuʒ] ( listen), meaning 'red stick') is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana and its second-largest city. Located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish.

As its capital city, Baton Rouge is the political hub of Louisiana.[6] It is the second-largest city in the state, with an estimated population of 227,715 in 2016.[7] The metropolitan area surrounding the city, known as Greater Baton Rouge, is also the second-largest in Louisiana, with a population of 830,480 people as of 2015.[8] The urban area has around 594,309 inhabitants.

Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, research, motion picture,[9] and growing technology[10] center of the American South. It is the location of Louisiana State University, the LSU System's flagship university and the largest institution of higher education in the state.[11] It is also the location of Southern University, the flagship institution of the Southern University System, the only historically black college system in the nation. The Port of Greater Baton Rouge is the 10th-largest in the United States in terms of tonnage shipped, and is the farthest upstream Mississippi River port capable of handling Panamax ships.[12][13]

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Pick the Ideal Electrician Technical School near Baton Rouge LA

Selecting the right electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal 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 attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Baton Rouge LA.