How to Become an Electrician in Swift Minnesota
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Swift MN. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are a number of points to consider. For example, many students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have found several that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the sole factors that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final decision when picking an electrician school. We will discuss 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 available.
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Swift MN
There are several approaches to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Swift MN. You may 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 other three options. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Minnesota trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards students who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by Minnesota junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Minnesota colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out before licensing. Because of that, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Swift MN can carry out a vast array of tasks, such as 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 mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around 4 to 5 years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be acquired in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves three 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician tech school that you pick not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online in Swift MN
An alternative that you may have contemplated is selecting an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning might be a more accommodating alternative for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Commuting expenses from Swift MN are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Swift MN area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are additional factors that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have earned 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 an individual program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Swift MN program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get a quality education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It may also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory 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 affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Swift MN graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Swift MN area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Swift MN electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Swift home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be higher 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 a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with some of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Swift MN, confirm that the schools you are comparing 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 protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Swift MN?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Swift MN area.
Swift County, Minnesota
Swift County was established February 18, 1870. This county was named after Henry Adoniram Swift, the governor of Minnesota in 1863. It is located in the west central part of Minnesota and consists of 757 square miles (2,000 km2) with 3 tiers of 7 townships each. The Swift County Courthouse was built in 1897 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The City of Benson is the County seat of Swift County. The railroad tracks run through the center of the town of Benson and divide the downtown business districts with parks on each side of the tracks.
The Indians had grievances against the government including delays in sending annuities which caused near starvation several times. In August, 1862, an Indian rebellion broke out in Minnesota. The warfare reached the settlements just getting started in the northeastern part of Swift County. By the latter part of September, 1862, the Indian War was almost over but the settlers hesitated to venture back to the prairie country of Swift County until 1865 when all danger was apparently over. Scandinavians and Germans were in decided majority among the early settlers. A number of them came with the honor and privileges of Civil War veterans.
In 1869, the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad had reached Willmar and the following year it arrived in Benson. The railroad company determined the number of future trading centers (Kerkhoven, DeGraff, Benson, Randall) in the county by locating sites at intervals of approximately 8 miles (13 km).
Choose the Right Electrician Technical School near Swift MN
Picking the right electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are evaluating includes a lot 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 offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Swift MN.
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