Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Colmar PA 18915

How to Become an Electrician in Colmar Pennsylvania

Colmar PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Colmar PA. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many variables to examine. For instance, many potential students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have located a few that are within commuting range, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are of importance, they are not the only factors that must be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are offered.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Colmar PA

Colmar PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several ways to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Colmar PA. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief descriptions of the three most prevalent programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees take 2 years to finish and are offered by Pennsylvania community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed before licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Requirements

Colmar PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Colmar PA can undertake a wide range of duties, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about four to five years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be earned in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you select not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Programs Online in Colmar PA

attending electrician school online in Colmar PA An alternative that you might have contemplated is selecting an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning may be a more convenient 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 counterparts. Commuting costs from Colmar PA are also minimized and some of the study materials may be accessed online also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Colmar PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Colmar PA region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first two that we mentioned 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 chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional variables that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Colmar PA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive a superior education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training program 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 percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate might suggest that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It could also mean that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can mean 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 industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Colmar PA students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Colmar PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain 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 currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Colmar PA electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Colmar home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized 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 see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with several of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Colmar PA, verify that the programs you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Colmar PA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Colmar PA area.

Colmar station (SEPTA)

Colmar station is a SEPTA Regional Rail station in Colmar, Pennsylvania. Located at Bethlehem Pike (PA-309) and Walnut Street, it serves the Lansdale/Doylestown Line. In FY 2013, Colmar station had a weekday average of 370 boardings and 369 alightings.[1]

Colmar station was originally built in 1856 by the North Pennsylvania Railroad as Line Lexington Station, despite being located 1½ miles away from the Village of Line Lexington. In January 1871 a new post office near the station named the surrounding community "Jenkins" and was renamed "Ainsworth" in June of that year, but neither had any effect on the name of the station until two weeks later, when both the village and the station were named "Colmar," which has remained the name of the station ever since.[2][3]

The location could not be found.

Enroll in the Right Electrical Technical School near Colmar PA

Selecting the ideal electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrical training program that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers unique options for certification as well. Probably The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Colmar PA.