How to Become an Electrician in Locust Valley New York
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Locust Valley NY. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are so many points to consider. For instance, some potential students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. After they have identified several that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the sole qualifications that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Locust Valley NY
There are three general ways to obtain electrician training in a trade or technical school near Locust Valley NY. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are short explanations of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by New York technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by New York junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some New York institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Locust Valley NY can undertake a vast array of functions, such as testing, installing and replacing 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 become licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about four to five years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be obtained in numerous specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 3 levels of competency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you pick not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Schools Online in Locust Valley NY
An alternative that you might have looked at is selecting an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning can be a more accommodating option for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Driving expenses from Locust Valley NY are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Locust Valley NY area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Locust Valley NY program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you obtain a superior education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing 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 might indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It could also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which can result in 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 a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Locust Valley NY graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Locust Valley NY area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Locust Valley NY electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Locust Valley home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Locust Valley NY, verify that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Locust Valley NY?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Locust Valley NY area.
Locust Valley, New York
Locust Valley is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in Nassau County, New York. Locust Valley is an unincorporated area of the Town of Oyster Bay. As of the United States 2010 Census, the CDP population was 3,406. The area is commonly identified with its W.A.S.P and "White Shoe" culture surrounding a group of polo and golf clubs, primarily the secretive Piping Rock Club, as well as the equally prestigious Creek Club, in the neighboring incorporated villages of Matinecock and Lattingtown, respectively. The town is also known for Locust Valley lockjaw.
The rolling hills of the North Shore of Long Island were laid down as terminal moraines by the receding glaciers of the last ice age roughly 10,000 years ago. The Algonquian tribe that settled the area, spanning from Flushing to Setauket, called the area "hilly ground" or Matinecock and as a result the Algonquian Indians who settled there became known as the Matinecock Indians.[2]
In 1667, Captain John Underhill negotiated with the Matinecock Indians to purchase land for a settlement that he and his fellow colonists would call Buckram.[3] The town name lasted for nearly 200 years, until in 1856 the name was changed to Locust Valley based on the number of locust trees located in the area.[3]
Find the Right Electrical Trade School near Locust Valley NY
Picking the ideal electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrical training program that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to sit in on 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 result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Locust Valley NY.
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