Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Plainview NY 11803

How to Become an Electrician in Plainview New York

Plainview NY electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Plainview NY. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are a number of factors to examine. For instance, many students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have identified a few that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the sole factors that should be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final judgment when choosing an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are available.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options near Plainview NY

Plainview NY electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general ways to receive electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Plainview NY. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the 3 most common programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by New York technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to complete and are provided by New York junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain New York colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Plainview NY electricians working on power lines Electricians in Plainview NY can perform a wide range of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually around 4 to 5 years of experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be earned in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you pick not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online in Plainview NY

attending electrician school online in Plainview NY An alternative that you may have looked at is choosing an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more convenient choice for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting costs from Plainview NY are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Plainview NY electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Plainview NY region, it’s important 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 although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Many electrician vocational programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain 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. Make sure that the Plainview NY program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get a quality education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states require 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It could also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to utilize 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 industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Plainview NY graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Plainview NY area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Plainview NY electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Plainview home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few 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 opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Plainview NY, check that the programs you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Plainview NY?

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

Plainview, New York

Plainview is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located near the North Shore of Long Island in the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP as of 2010[update] was 26,217.[1] The Plainview post office has the ZIP code 11803.[2]

Plainview and its neighboring hamlet, Old Bethpage, share a school system, library, fire department, and water district. Law enforcement for the communities is provided by the Nassau County Police Department's, Second Precinct.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.7 square miles (15 km2). Plainview is on the Nassau County side of the border with Suffolk County. On the Nassau side it borders the hamlets of Hicksville, Old Bethpage, Syosset, and Woodbury. On the Suffolk side, its primary border is with Melville, but also touches West Hills.

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Pick the Right Electrical Trade School near Plainview NY

Picking the best electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician training that you are considering 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 should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Plainview NY.