Find Electrician Schools Near Me in New London NC 28127

How to Become an Electrician in New London North Carolina

New London NC electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near New London NC. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are a number of variables to consider. For example, some prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have identified several that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the sole things that need to be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician school. We will address that checklist in more 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 Options near New London NC

New London NC electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general ways to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near New London NC. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the other three options. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are brief explanations of the three most common programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by North Carolina vocational and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are provided by North Carolina junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain North Carolina institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed before licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites

New London NC electricians working on power lines Electricians in New London NC can carry out a vast array of duties, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around 4 to 5 years of experience is needed before taking 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 identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be acquired in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases 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 imperative that the electrician tech school that you pick not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online in New London NC

attending electrician school online in New London NC An option that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools have become more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning may be a more accommodating alternative for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Driving expenses from New London NC are also reduced and some of the study materials can be available online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

New London NC electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the New London NC area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional variables that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research before selecting an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the New London NC program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive a superior education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Also, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify 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 of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate might suggest that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It may also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high 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 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 industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist New London NC students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most 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 within their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with New London NC area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school 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, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local New London NC electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your New London residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near New London NC, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near New London NC?

Following is a little bit of background information about the New London NC area.

New London, North Carolina

New London began originally as Bilesville around 1830 when Thomas Biles, Jr. and Elizabeth Betsy Sides Biles moved to their farm at the highest elevation in then Montgomery County. The new town was named in honor of Uncle Tommy Biles who owned the land at the time. The first homeowners and merchants numbered fourteen and it wasn’t long before the new town boasted a number of industries.

To the south of Bilesville was a small settlement called Albemarle. The area was still a part of Montgomery County when gold was discovered. The gold was discovered in 1859 on the Howell Parker farm, there began some of the first mining operations. The nearest church to Bilesville was Bethel which was east of town. The first church in town was Bilesville Methodist. As families increased there was a need for a school with the first one being a log structure erected in 1884.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, the mine lay undisturbed until sometime in the 1870s when an English mining concern known as New London & States Co., Ltd. purchased the mine property. The English company sent Capt. William Nance to be in charge of the operation. With the gold and other industries going full speed, surely Bilesville needed a richer-sounding name. W. A. Judd from England, now in charge of the mining operations suggested the name be changed to “New London”, hardly anyone objected.

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Choose the Right Electrical Tech School near New London NC

Picking the ideal electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician training that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each program provides different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in New London NC.