Find Electrician Schools Near Me in East Pittsburgh PA 15112

How to Become an Electrician in East Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

East Pittsburgh PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near East Pittsburgh PA. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many factors to examine. For example, some students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. When they have found some that are within commuting distance, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the only things that should be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near East Pittsburgh PA

East Pittsburgh PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple options to receive electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near East Pittsburgh PA. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are short summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who wish to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees involve two years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs 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 more typically four years be completed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites

East Pittsburgh PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in East Pittsburgh PA can undertake a wide range of functions, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around four to five years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be earned in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails 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 trade school that you choose not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Schools in East Pittsburgh PA

attending electrician school online in East Pittsburgh PA A possibility that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs have become more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, internet learning might be a more convenient option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Commuting expenses from East Pittsburgh PA are also minimized and some of the study materials can be accessed on line also. Each of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

East Pittsburgh PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the East Pittsburgh PA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional variables that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research before selecting an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the East Pittsburgh PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you receive a quality education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate may signify that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It may also indicate that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly 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 result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help East Pittsburgh PA graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working relationships with East Pittsburgh PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local East Pittsburgh PA electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your East Pittsburgh home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one 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 witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with some of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near East Pittsburgh PA, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide 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 due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near East Pittsburgh PA?

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

East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

East Pittsburgh is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, about 11 miles (18 km) southeast of the confluence of the Monongahela and the Allegheny rivers at Pittsburgh. The population in 1900 stood at 2,883, and in 1910, at 5,615. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 1,822,[3] having fallen from 6,079 in 1940. George Westinghouse erected large works there which supplied equipment to the great power plants at Niagara Falls and for the elevated and rapid-transit systems of New York. Nearby, the George Westinghouse Bridge over Turtle Creek is a prominent fixture in the area, which is very near the borough of Braddock.

In 1928, an early demonstration of a new medium was conducted at the Westinghouse laboratories in East Pittsburgh. Eventually, the new medium became known as television. Vladimir Zworykin worked for Westinghouse Electric Corporation at that time. He lived in the borough of Wilkinsburg. The Westinghouse Works became the Research and Business Park "Keystone Commons" in 1989.[4]

The East Pittsburgh School District included Bessemer Avenue Elementary School and East Pittsburgh Junior/Senior High School on Howard Street. East Pittsburgh's school colors were green and white, and its athletic teams were called the Shamrocks.

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Select the Ideal Electrical Technical School near East Pittsburgh PA

Choosing the right electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician training that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each program offers unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the 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 East Pittsburgh PA.