Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Metairie LA 70001

How to Become an Electrician in Metairie Louisiana

Metairie LA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Metairie LA. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are a number of points to examine. For example, many students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their home. After they have located a few that are within driving range, they will select the one with the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the only factors that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are accessible.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Metairie LA

Metairie LA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several options to receive electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Metairie LA. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are short summaries of the three most typical programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Louisiana technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are offered by Louisiana junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Louisiana institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements

Metairie LA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Metairie LA can perform a multitude of services, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be acquired in many specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes three levels of proficiency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools in Metairie LA

attending electrician school online in Metairie LA A possibility that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, internet learning might be a more practical choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Travelling expenses from Metairie LA are also minimized and some of the study materials may be available on line also. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Metairie LA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Metairie LA area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are additional variables that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Metairie LA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate might signify that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It could also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can produce 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 a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Metairie LA graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught in conjunction 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 electrical businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Metairie LA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides 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 up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Metairie LA electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Metairie home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one training 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. Speak to a few of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Metairie LA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Metairie LA?

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

Metairie, Louisiana

Metairie (/ˈmɛtəri/ MET-ər-ee; French: Métairie [metɛʁi]) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major section of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish and the fifth-largest CDP in the United States.[1] It is an unincorporated area that would be Louisiana's fourth-largest city if it were incorporated.[2][3] The zip codes that serve the community are 70001–70006.

Métairie is the French term for a small tenant farm which paid the landlord with a share of the produce, also known as sharecropping. In the 1760s, many of the original French farmers were tenants; after the Civil War, the majority of the community's inhabitants were sharecroppers until urbanization started in the 1910s.

In the 1720s French settlers became the first Europeans to settle Metairie in the area known then as Tchoupitoulas and now as Metairie Ridge, a natural levee formed by an ancient branch of the Mississippi River which flowed through modern-day River Ridge, Metairie, Gentilly, and New Orleans East. It emptied into Mississippi Sound. The Acolapissa Native Americans used this ridge as a road, and it is the oldest road in the New Orleans area. Paved in the 1920s, it is called Metairie Road. An electric streetcar was installed running along Metairie Road in the late 1910s, opening the area to greater development. Upscale housing tracts were constructed off the road in the 1920s; this area is now known as "Old Metairie." It is today the most prestigious area of Metairie. The areas to the north and northwest of Metairie Road were not developed until after World War II. The land between Metairie Ridge and Lake Pontchartrain, which was cypress swamps and marshlands, was drained with the Wood Pump. With development of this new land for residences, Metairie's population grew in the 1940s as a result of cheaper land, lower taxes, and larger lots than in Orleans Parish.

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Select the Ideal Electrician Technical School near Metairie LA

Selecting the right electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical training program that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to visit 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 school you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Metairie LA.