Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Wilkesboro NC 28697

How to Become an Electrician in Wilkesboro North Carolina

Wilkesboro NC electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Wilkesboro NC. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are so many factors to consider. For instance, many prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their home. After they have found some that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the sole things that must be considered. 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 selecting an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are accessible.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs near Wilkesboro NC

Wilkesboro NC electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general options to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Wilkesboro NC. You can choose a certificate or diploma 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, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Bellow are brief summaries of the three most prevalent programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by North Carolina technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve two years to finish and are provided by North Carolina community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain North Carolina institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria

Wilkesboro NC electricians working on power lines Electricians in Wilkesboro NC can carry out a wide range of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about four to five years of prior experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be obtained in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves three 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician tech school that you choose not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs in Wilkesboro NC

attending electrician school online in Wilkesboro NC An option that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning may be a more accommodating alternative for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Driving costs from Wilkesboro NC are also lessened and some of the study materials can be accessed online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Wilkesboro NC electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Wilkesboro NC region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are other variables that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Wilkesboro NC 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 make certain that you acquire a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate could indicate that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It might also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Wilkesboro NC students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Wilkesboro NC area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes 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 using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Wilkesboro NC electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Wilkesboro residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger 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 students and instructors. Speak to some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the teachers and learn 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 can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Wilkesboro NC, verify that the programs you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Wilkesboro NC?

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

Wilkesboro, North Carolina

Wilkesboro is a town in and the county seat of Wilkes County, North Carolina.[5] The population was 3,413 at the 2010 census.[6] The town is located along the south bank of the Yadkin River, directly opposite the town of North Wilkesboro. Wilkesboro is the home of the annual MerleFest festival.

Wilkesboro was founded in 1800 and quickly designated as the county seat. The town is built atop a low, broad ridge which runs for over a mile along the south bank of the Yadkin River. For many decades a popular historic spot in Wilkesboro was the "Tory Oak", a large oak tree from which Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, a well-known Wilkes County patriot during the American Revolutionary War, hung Loyalist militia leaders who supported the British King and opposed American independence from Britain. The oak was located behind the old Wilkes County courthouse. During the American Civil War many of Wilkesboro's residents remained loyal to the Union and opposed the Confederacy. In March 1865 General George Stoneman, a Union cavalry leader, led a raid through the town. Shortly after the war ended, Tom Dula (Dooley), a Confederate veteran, was tried and hanged for the murder of his fiancee, Laura Foster. Many people were convinced that one of Dula's jealous ex-girlfriends murdered Foster, and that Dula was innocent of the crime. Dula's story was turned into a top-selling ballad in 1958 by the Kingston Trio, the song was entitled "Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley". The story was subsequently turned into a 1959 movie starring Michael Landon as Dula, and each summer the Wilkes Playmakers present a popular play based on the story.

The Robert Cleveland Log House, Downtown Wilkesboro Historic District, Federal Building, J. T. Ferguson Store, Thomas B. Finley Law Office, J. L. Hemphill House, Johnson-Hubbard House, Old Wilkes County Jail, St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Cemetery, Wilkes County Courthouse, Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church, and Wilkesboro-Smithey Hotel are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[7]

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Select the Right Electrical Tech School near Wilkesboro NC

Picking the right electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Wilkesboro NC.