How to Become an Electrician in Shidler Oklahoma
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Shidler OK. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many points to evaluate. For instance, many prospective students will start by searching for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have found several that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the only things that need to be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician trade 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 instructional choices that are accessible.
Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Shidler OK
There are several ways to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near Shidler OK. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Bellow are short explanations of the 3 most typical programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Oklahoma vocational and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve two years to complete and are provided by Oklahoma community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Oklahoma institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out before licensing. Because of that, most students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Shidler OK can carry out a multitude of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be acquired in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Schools in Shidler OK
An alternative that you may have considered is choosing an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning might be a more practical alternative for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Driving costs from Shidler OK are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available online as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Shidler OK region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have acquired 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, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Shidler OK program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify 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 or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It might also indicate that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Shidler OK grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician technical programs are taught together 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 companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Shidler OK area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Shidler OK electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Shidler residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Shidler OK, check that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Shidler OK?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Shidler OK area.
Shidler, Oklahoma
Shidler was founded in December 1921 and named for Eugene S. Shidler, a Pawhuska, Oklahoma banker and rancher. The town grew rapidly to a population of about 5,000 due to the discovery of petroleum nearby (see Whizbang, Oklahoma) and the arrival of the Osage Railway (a branch of the Midland Valley Railway) in February 1922. In that year, Shidler had 19 oil-well supply businesses and six plants making gasoline. Shidler had a reputation for lawlessness with bank and highway robberies common. By the late 1920s, the oil boom had subsided and Shidler began to lose population. Shidler's population in the 1930 census was 1,177 and the downward trend continued. Shidler today is a quiet farming and ranching community although there is still some petroleum production in the area.[4]
During World War II, citizens of Shidler actively lobbied to prevent the internment of the Yamamoto family from Shidler (see Internment of Japanese Americans). Thanks to the efforts of US Senator Elmer Thomas, the internment order was lifted.[5]
Shidler is located at 36°46′49″N 96°39′43″W / 36.78028°N 96.66194°W / 36.78028; -96.66194 (36.780342, -96.661844).[6] It is 29 miles (47 km) northwest of Pawhuska, the seat of Osage County.[4]
Select the Right Electrician Vocational School near Shidler OK
Picking the right electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have addressed 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 prerequisite that any electrical training that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small 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 course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each program provides different options for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect 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, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Shidler OK.
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