Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Auburn NY 13021

How to Become an Electrician in Auburn New York

Auburn NY electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Auburn NY. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are a number of points to examine. For instance, many potential students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have found several that are within commuting distance, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final decision when picking an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Auburn NY

Auburn NY electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general ways to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Auburn NY. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the three most prevalent programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by New York trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards those who wish to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to complete and are offered by New York junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some New York colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites

Auburn NY electricians working on power lines Electricians in Auburn NY can perform a multitude of duties, including 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 required to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly around four to five years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be acquired in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves 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 important that the electrician tech school that you pick not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Programs Online in Auburn NY

attending electrician school online in Auburn NY A possibility that you might have contemplated is choosing an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools have become more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more practical choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Travelling costs from Auburn NY are also minimized and some of the study materials can be available online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Auburn NY electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Auburn NY region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Auburn NY program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you receive a quality education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Also, some 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 considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also mean that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Auburn NY grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Auburn NY area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies job 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 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, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Auburn NY electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Auburn home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might 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 monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk to several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Auburn NY, verify that the schools you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Auburn NY?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Auburn NY area.

Auburn, New York

Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States, located at the north end of Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes, in Central New York. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,687.[4] It is the county seat of Cayuga County,[5] and the site of the maximum-security Auburn Correctional Facility, as well as the William H. Seward House Museum and the house of abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

Auburn was founded in 1793, during the post-Revolutionary period of settlement of western New York. The founder, John L. Hardenbergh, was a veteran of the Sullivan-Clinton campaign against the Iroquois during the American Revolution. Hardenbergh settled in the vicinity of the Owasco River with his infant daughter and two African-American slaves, Harry and Kate Freeman. After his death in 1806, Hardenbergh was buried in Auburn's North Street Cemetery, and was re-interred in 1852 in Fort Hill Cemetery – the first burial in the city's newly opened burial ground. The community grew up around Hardenbergh's gristmill and sawmill.[6]

Originally known as Hardenbergh's Corners in the town of Aurelius, the settlement was renamed Auburn in 1805 when it became the county seat.[7] It became an incorporated village in 1815, and was chartered as a city in 1848. It was only a few miles from the Erie Canal, which opened in 1825 and allowed local factories to inexpensively ship goods north or south. In 1871, the Southern Central Railroad, financed by the Lehigh Valley Railroad, completed a line primarily to carry coal from Athens, Pennsylvania, through Auburn to wharves on Lake Ontario at Fair Haven.[8]

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Pick the Right Electrician Vocational School near Auburn NY

Choosing the right electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician training that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Auburn NY.