Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Connellsville PA 15425

How to Become an Electrician in Connellsville Pennsylvania

Connellsville PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Connellsville PA. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to consider. For example, many prospective students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. When they have found a few that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the sole things that need to be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician training school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are available.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Connellsville PA

Connellsville PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Connellsville PA. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the three most prevalent programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to complete and are offered by Pennsylvania 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 join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Pennsylvania institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Guidelines

Connellsville PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Connellsville PA can undertake a multitude of duties, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically about four to five years of experience is required in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be obtained in several specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes 3 levels of competency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you select not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools in Connellsville PA

attending electrician school online in Connellsville PA An alternative that you might have considered is selecting an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning can be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting expenses from Connellsville PA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Connellsville PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Since there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Connellsville PA area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we mentioned 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 while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional factors that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Connellsville PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you receive a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Also, 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 percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It might also suggest that the instructors were not competent to instruct 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 directory of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to employ 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 Connellsville PA students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician vocational programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Connellsville PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Connellsville PA electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Connellsville home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to several of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Connellsville PA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Connellsville PA?

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

Connellsville, Pennsylvania

Connellsville is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Pittsburgh on the Youghiogheny River, a tributary of the Monongahela River. It is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 7,637 at the 2010 census,[3] down from 9,146 at the 2000 census.

During the French and Indian War, a British army commanded by General Edward Braddock approached Fort Duquesne and crossed the Youghiogheny River at Stewart's Crossing, which is situated in the middle of what is now the city of Connellsville.

Connellsville was officially founded as a township in 1793 then as a borough on March 1, 1806, by Zachariah Connell, a militia captain during the American Revolution. In February 1909, balloting in New Haven and Connellsville resulted in these two boroughs joining and becoming the first city in Fayette County on May 12, 1911.

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Pick the Ideal Electrical Trade School near Connellsville PA

Choosing the right electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical training program that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need 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 go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Connellsville PA.