Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Birmingham MI 48009

How to Become an Electrician in Birmingham Michigan

Birmingham MI electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Birmingham MI. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are so many variables to evaluate. For example, some prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their home. After 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 important, they are not the only things that need to be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Birmingham MI

Birmingham MI electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several ways to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Birmingham MI. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the three most prevalent programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Michigan vocational and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards those who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs require two years to complete and are offered by Michigan community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Michigan colleges, 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 more typically four years be performed before licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines

Birmingham MI electricians working on power lines Electricians in Birmingham MI can perform a vast array of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be acquired in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes 3 levels of competency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you select not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Training Classes Online in Birmingham MI

attending electrician school online in Birmingham MI An alternative that you may have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more convenient choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Driving costs from Birmingham MI are also minimized and some of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Birmingham MI electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Birmingham MI area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other variables that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Birmingham MI program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you get an excellent education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order 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 complete the program. A lower completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which may produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Birmingham MI graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught together 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 electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Birmingham MI area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Birmingham MI electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Birmingham home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger 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 several of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Birmingham MI, verify that the programs you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Birmingham MI?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Birmingham MI area.

Birmingham, Michigan

The area comprising what is now the city of Birmingham was part of land ceded by Native American tribes to the United States government by the 1807 Treaty of Detroit.[9] However, settlement was delayed first by the War of 1812 and subsequently by an unfavorable report by the Surveyor-General of the United States, Edward Tiffin, regarding the placement of Military Bounty Lands for veterans of the War of 1812.[10][11] Tiffin's report claimed that "There would not be an acre out of a hundred, if there would be one out of a thousand that would, in any case, admit cultivation." In 1818, Territorial Governor Lewis Cass led a group of men along the Indian Trail. The governor's party discovered that the swamp was not as extensive as Tiffin had supposed. Not long after Cass issued a more encouraging report about the land, interest quickened in its suitability for settlement.

The earliest land entry was made on January 28, 1819, by Colonel Benjamin Kendrick Pierce (brother of future U.S. President Franklin Pierce) for the northwest quarter of section 36. Colonel Pierce visited his land several times, but never settled on it.[12] In March 1818, John W. Hunter and his brother Daniel left Auburn, New York, by sleigh and traveled to Michigan by way of Upper Canada. They waited in Detroit for their father and other family members who arrived by schooner over Lake Erie in July. The family remained in Detroit until spring 1819 when John W. made an entry for the northeast quarter of section 36, now in the southeast section of current-day Birmingham. Lacking a proper land survey, John W. mistakenly built his log house on a tract later purchased by Elijah Willets. That house was later occupied by William Hall, a son-in-law of Elisha Hunter, while John W. Hunter built another log house a short distance to the southeast. On September 25, 1821, Elijah Willets made a land entry for the southwest quarter of section 25. Two days later, Major John Hamilton made an entry for the southeast quarter of section 25. Each of these initial land entries met at what is now the intersection of Maple Road and Pierce Street.

For a time, all three men, John W. Hunter, Major Hamilton, and Elijah Willets, operated hotels and taverns from their houses within a short distance from each other. While Hunter did not continue for very long, Hamilton and Willets continued a rivalry for many years, competing with each other for business from travelers on Woodward Avenue[13] between Detroit and Pontiac. The growing settlement was known variously as "Hamilton's", "Hunter's", or "Willets'"; it was later known as "Piety Hill". The settlement's original plat was surveyed and recorded on August 25, 1836, in the northwest quarter of section 36 then owned by Rosewell T. Merrill who also ran the town foundry and the thrashing machine factory. Merrill named his plat "Birmingham" after Birmingham, England, in the hope that the new settlement would similarly become a great industrial center.[14] Elijah Willets recorded a plat on his property on December 20, 1837. John W. Hunter followed suit with two plats on his property on January 31, 1840, and June 21, 1842, while Major Hamilton laid out a plat on October 7, 1846. Several other properties were subsequently platted as additions. The plats made in 1836 and 1837 were in anticipation of completion of the Detroit and Pontiac Railroad.

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Find the Right Electrical Technical School near Birmingham MI

Choosing the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers unique options for certification as well. Probably The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Birmingham MI.