How to Become an Electrician in Elizabethtown Pennsylvania
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Elizabethtown PA. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are a number of points to evaluate. For instance, some potential students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have identified a few that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the only factors that must be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are accessible.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Elizabethtown PA
There are several ways to get electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Elizabethtown PA. You may select 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 first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are brief summaries of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to complete and are offered by Pennsylvania community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Pennsylvania institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be performed before licensing. Therefore, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Elizabethtown PA can perform a multitude of services, such as installing, replacing and testing 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 be licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually around 4 to 5 years of experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be earned in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves 3 levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician tech school that you pick not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Training Classes in Elizabethtown PA
An alternative that you may have considered is selecting an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs have become more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning can be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Driving expenses from Elizabethtown PA are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Elizabethtown PA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Elizabethtown PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you get a quality education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate could indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also signify that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also 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 can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Elizabethtown PA graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical 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 within their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Elizabethtown PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus 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 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 Elizabethtown PA electrical company if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Elizabethtown residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the teachers 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 schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Elizabethtown PA, check that the programs you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Elizabethtown PA?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Elizabethtown PA area.
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Elizabethtown (Pennsylvania Dutch: Betzischteddel) is a borough in Lancaster County and Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 21 miles (34 km) southeast of Harrisburg. Small factories existed at the turn of the 20th century when the population in 1900 was 1,861. There was a slight increase in the next decade, with 1,970 people living in Elizabethtown in 1910. As of the 2000 census, the population of the borough was 11,887.[3] Elizabethtown is commonly referred to in south-central Pennsylvania as "E-Town."[4] This nickname is also used for the local college and high school.
There are two stories about the origin of the town's name. In one version it is named after Elizabeth Reeby, wife of Michael Reeby who sold the first building lots here in about 1795. Another version has it named after the wife of Captain Barnabas Hughes who purchased The Black Bear Tavern in 1750.
The officially accepted history is that, in 1753, Captain Barnabas Hughes acquired land and laid out a town, naming it for his wife, Elizabeth. The early settlers were primarily Scots-Irish and Pennsylvania Dutch.
Select the Ideal Electrical Trade School near Elizabethtown PA
Picking the ideal electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you select 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 Elizabethtown PA.
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