How to Become an Electrician in Silver City New Mexico
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Silver City NM. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many variables to examine. For instance, some potential students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. When they have found some that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the only qualifications that should be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are accessible.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Silver City NM
There are three general ways to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near Silver City NM. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Bellow are short summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by New Mexico technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards those who wish to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to complete and are provided by New Mexico community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some New Mexico institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer 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. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Silver City NM can undertake a multitude of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally about four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually test electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be earned in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves 3 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online in Silver City NM
An option that you might have considered is choosing an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools have become more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, internet learning might be a more convenient choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Travelling costs from Silver City NM are also lessened and some of the study materials can be available on line also. Each of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Silver City NM region, 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 degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other variables that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Silver City NM school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you acquire a superior education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It may also mean that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which can 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 also that it has the network of contacts to help Silver City NM graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous 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 businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Silver City NM area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained 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 specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Silver City NM electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Silver City residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get 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 experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools 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 Silver City NM, check that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Silver City NM?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Silver City NM area.
Silver City, New Mexico
Silver City is a town in Grant County, New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat[3] and the home of Western New Mexico University. As of the 2010 census the population was 10,315.[4] In 2015 the population was estimated to be 10,004.[5]
The valley that is now the site of Silver City once served as an Apache campsite. With the arrival of the Spaniards, the area became known for its copper mining. After the American Civil War, a settlement developed and became known as "La Ciénega de San Vicente" (the Oasis of St. Vincent). With a wave of American prospectors, the pace of change increased, and Silver City was founded in the summer of 1870. The founding of the town occurred shortly after the discovery of silver ore deposits at Chloride Flat, on the hill just west of the farm of Captain John M. Bullard and his brother James. Following the silver strike, Captain Bullard laid out the streets of Silver City, and a bustling tent city quickly sprang to life. Although the trajectory of Silver City's development was to be different from the hundreds of other mining boom towns established during the same period, Captain Bullard himself never lived to see even the beginnings of permanence, as he was killed in a confrontation with Apache raiders less than a year later, on February 23, 1871.
The town's violent crime rate was substantial during the 1870s. However, Grant County Sheriff Harvey Whitehill was elected in 1874, and gained a sizable reputation for his abilities at controlling trouble. In 1875, Whitehill became the first lawman to arrest Billy the Kid, known at the time under the alias of Henry Antrim. Whitehill arrested him twice, both times for theft in Silver City (Sheriff Whitehill testified to the Justice of the Peace that he believed Henry Antrim did not do the actual stealing the second time arrested, but assisted in the hiding of the property stolen by Sombrero Jack. Whitehill would later claim that the young man was a likeable kid, whose stealing was a result more of necessity than criminality. His mother is buried in the town cemetery. In 1878, the town hired its first town marshal, "Dangerous Dan" Tucker, who had been working as a deputy for Whitehill since 1875. Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch were also reported to frequent the Silver City saloons in the late 1800s.[6]
Select the Right Electrical Technical School near Silver City NM
Selecting the ideal electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every 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 teachers and students. Take the time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Silver City NM.
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