How to Become an Electrician in Ashland Mississippi
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Ashland MS. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are so many variables to examine. For instance, some students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have identified some that are within commuting distance, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the only factors that should be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final judgment when choosing an electrician training school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are accessible.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Ashland MS
There are multiple ways to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Ashland MS. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Often these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most typical programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Mississippi trade and technical schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to finish and are offered by Mississippi community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Mississippi colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out before licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Ashland MS can carry out a multitude of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is required before taking 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 differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be earned in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails three levels of proficiency:
- 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 important that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs in Ashland MS
An option that you may have considered is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning may be a more practical choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting costs from Ashland MS are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed online also. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Ashland MS area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Ashland MS program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved 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 percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It might also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Ashland MS grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Ashland MS area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Ashland MS electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Ashland home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized 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 observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure 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 Ashland MS, verify that the schools you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask 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 Ashland MS?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Ashland MS area.
Ashland, Mississippi
Ashland is a town in Benton County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 569 at the 2010 census.[2] It is the county seat of Benton County.[3] Ashland was incorporated on March 8, 1871, and has a Mayor-Aldermen form of government. Mitch Carroll is the 28th mayor of Ashland, and Mike Carroll, Don Daniel, Sandra Gresham, Greg Thompson and Shannon Wilburn make up the present Board of Aldermen. Bill Stone was elected to the Mississippi State Senate in November 2007, and a special election was held in the town of Ashland to fill the mayoral vacancy. Mitch Carroll defeated brother Mike Carroll by 17 votes to secure the position.
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 577 people, 207 households, and 142 families residing in the town. The population density was 316.0 people per square mile (121.7/km²). There were 227 housing units at an average density of 124.3 per square mile (47.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.1% White, 0.8% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population.
There were 207 households out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.68.
Enroll in the Ideal Electrician Technical School near Ashland MS
Choosing the ideal electrician training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides different options for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you select is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Ashland MS.
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