How to Become an Electrician in Athens Ohio
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Athens OH. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are so many factors to examine. For instance, some prospective students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have found a few that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though cost and location are of importance, they are not the only factors that need to be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when selecting an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are accessible.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Athens OH
There are three general options to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Athens OH. You may 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 other three options. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are short explanations of the three most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Ohio trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards those who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to complete and are offered by Ohio junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Ohio colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be performed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in Athens OH can perform a wide range of duties, such as 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 mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around four to five years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be obtained in several specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves 3 levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies 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 vocational school that you pick not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs in Athens OH
A possibility that you may have considered is selecting an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, internet learning might be a more practical option for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting expenses from Athens OH are also minimized and some of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Once you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Athens OH region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. 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 a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Athens OH program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you acquire a superior education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states mandate that the electrician training course 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 program. A low completion rate could indicate that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also indicate that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Athens OH grads secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Athens OH area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build 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 working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Athens OH electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Athens home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with some of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Athens OH, verify that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Athens OH?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Athens OH area.
Athens, Ohio
Athens is a city in and the county seat of Athens County, Ohio, United States. Athens is most widely known as the home of Ohio University, a large public research university with an enrollment of more than 36,800 students across all campuses. Located along the Hocking River in the southeastern part of Ohio about 65 miles (105 km) southeast of Columbus, Athens is the principal city of the Athens, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area. The official population of Athens in the 2010 U.S. Census was 23,832, with a daytime population of over 40,000 [6]
Athens is located in what was once the eastern region of two major Native American mound-building groups, the Adena culture from c. 1000 BC to 200 AD and the Ohio Hopewell tradition, c. 300 BC to 700 AD.[8][9] By the middle of the eighteenth century, the Shawnee, an Algonquian tribe, were the primary tribe of Native Americans living in what would become Athens County. According to a 1794 map by Thomas Kitchin, no settlement existed in the Athens area during the time immediately prior to the founding of the city.[10]
The first permanent European settlers arrived in Athens in 1797, more than a decade after the United States victory in the American Revolutionary War. In 1800, the town site was first surveyed and plotted, but it was not incorporated as a village until 1811. In the meantime, Ohio had become a state in 1803. Ohio University was chartered in 1804, the first public institution of higher learning in the Northwest Territory. Previously part of Washington County, Ohio, Athens County was formed in 1805, named for the ancient center of learning, Athens, Greece. Ohio University in Athens was established with the first federal endowment of an educational institution in the United States. In July 1787, the Congress of the Confederation gave to the Ohio Company of Associates "two townships of good land for the support of a literary institution" in the newly created Northwest Territory.[11] During The First Session of the Second Territorial General Assembly, held in Chillicothe from November 23, 1801 to January 23, 1802, the General Assembly passed an act establishing the "American Western University" at Athens. The act was approved by Arthur St. Clair, Governor of the Northwest Territory on January 9, 1802.[12] However, no university with the name of American Western University would be established. Ohio became a state in 1803 and on February 18, 1804, the state legislature passed an act establishing the "Ohio University" in the town of Athens.[13] Athens received city status in 1912, following the 1910 census showing the population had passed 5,000 residents, the requirement for city status in Ohio.
Select the Ideal Electrical Technical School near Athens OH
Choosing the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly 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 examine and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrical training program that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides unique options for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you choose is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Athens OH.
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