Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Zanesville OH 43701

How to Become an Electrician in Zanesville Ohio

Zanesville OH electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Zanesville OH. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are a number of variables to consider. For example, some potential students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have identified some that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though cost and location are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that need to be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should help mold your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are available.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Zanesville OH

Zanesville OH electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Zanesville OH. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the three most common programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Ohio vocational and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards students who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to complete and are offered by Ohio community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Ohio colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria

Zanesville OH electricians working on power lines Electricians in Zanesville OH can undertake a wide range of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly around four to five years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be obtained in several specializations, such as 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 agencies 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 trade school that you choose not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Training Classes Online in Zanesville OH

attending electrician school online in Zanesville OH A possibility that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online 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 instance they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning can be a more practical choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Travelling costs from Zanesville OH are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online also. Each of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Zanesville OH electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Zanesville OH region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. 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 critical when making your selection, there are additional variables that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Many 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 pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Zanesville OH school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training course 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate might signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also indicate that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Zanesville OH grads acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Zanesville OH area electricians or electrical companies. 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. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Zanesville OH electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Zanesville home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation 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 training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Zanesville OH, verify that the programs you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Zanesville OH?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Zanesville OH area.

Zanesville, Ohio

Zanesville was named after Ebenezer Zane (1747–1811), who had constructed Zane's Trace, a pioneer road from Wheeling, Virginia (now in West Virginia) to Maysville, Kentucky through present-day Ohio. In 1797, he gave land as payment to his son-in-law, John McIntire (1759–1815), at the point where Zane's Trace met the Muskingum River. With Zane's help, McIntire platted the town and opened an inn and ferry by 1799. In 1801, Zanesville was officially renamed from Westbourne (Zane's chosen town name).

From 1810–1812, the city was the second state capital of Ohio.[7] The National Road runs through Zanesville as U.S. Route 40. The city grew quickly in the 1820s–1850s. Over 5,000 Union soldiers, along with hundreds of townsfolk, were stationed in the Zanesville area to protect the city in 1863 during Morgan's Raid. Novelist Zane Grey, a descendant of the Zane family, was born in the city.

The city grew, with factories making pottery, bricks, glassware, ball-bearings, soap, steel and many others from the 1880s until the mid-1950s. The City had a booming downtown and growing in the northern area of the town. By the 1950s many factories closed or moved. Pottery, a major employer slowly lost out to cheaper Asian companies. From the 1950s till the 1980s the City lost about 1/3 of its population. By the 1990s the city/county opened industrial parks and several housing developments were built in the northern parts of the City. In 2017 a greatly enlarged hospital opened and the other city hospital was closed and torn down.

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Enroll in the Right Electrician Tech School near Zanesville OH

Choosing the right electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Zanesville OH.