How to Become an Electrician in Stidham Oklahoma
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Stidham OK. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many points to evaluate. For example, many prospective students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have located several that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the sole things that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your final judgment when selecting an electrician school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are available.
Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Stidham OK
There are multiple ways to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Stidham OK. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are short explanations of the three most typical programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Oklahoma vocational and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take two years to complete and are provided by Oklahoma junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Oklahoma colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Stidham OK can perform a wide range of services, including 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 become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around four to five years of practical experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be acquired in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails 3 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 crucial that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online in Stidham OK
An alternative that you may have contemplated is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning might be a more convenient choice for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus many online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Driving costs from Stidham OK are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be available online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Once you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Stidham OK region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that must be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research prior to selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Stidham OK program is 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 get a quality education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved 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 complete the course. A low completion rate might suggest that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It could also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader 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 can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Stidham OK students obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Stidham OK area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Stidham OK electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Stidham residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might 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 difficult in bigger 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 students and instructors. Talk with some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Stidham OK, check that the programs you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Stidham OK?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Stidham OK area.
Murder of Brian Stidham
David Brian Stidham (August 13, 1967 – October 5, 2004)[1] was a pediatric ophthalmologist stabbed to death in Catalina Foothills, Arizona as the result of a murder-for-hire plot that stemmed from a colleague's professional jealousy.[2] Bradley Alan Schwartz, also a pediatric ophthalmologist, and Ronald Bruce Bigger, a hitman, were arrested and convicted for the murder.[3][4]
Stidham was born and raised in Longview Texas, the son of Mack and Joyce Stidham.[3][5] Stidham began attending Harvard Medical School in 1990 and graduated in 1993. He then moved to Dallas, Texas where he entered a residency program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School's internal medicine department. A year later he switched to ophthamology. While in Dallas, he met and began dating his neighbor, Daphne Herding,[5] whom he eventually married in a garden ceremony in 1997.[6] The couple moved to Indianapolis where Stidham undertook a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus at Indiana University.[5][6] In 1998, they returned to Texas when Stidham joined the faculty at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Their first child, Alexandre Brian, was born in Houston in 2000. Their daughter, Catherine Elizabeth, was born later in Tucson in 2003.[5]
In 2001, Stidham answered an ad Bradley Schwartz had placed in a trade journal seeking someone to care for the pediatric patients in his Tucson ophthalmology practice,[6] Arizona Specialty Eye Care.[7] Stidham was officially hired in November 2001 partly as a way to provide added support to Schwartz's booming business.[3] Other reports suggest that Schwartz was planning to open a plastic surgery practice[8] or, at least, another office on the north side of the city. Stidham was meant to take over the pediatric ophthalmology aspect of Schwartz's business.[9] In December 2001, one month after Stidham joined the practice, the DEA raided the office and Schwartz was indicted on 77 counts of illegally obtaining prescription medicine by a federal grand jury. This spurred Stidham to create his own Tucson-area practice.[5]
Choose the Right Electrical Technical School near Stidham OK
Selecting the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Stidham OK.
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