Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Elkins Park PA 19027

How to Become an Electrician in Elkins Park Pennsylvania

Elkins Park PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Elkins Park PA. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of variables to examine. For example, some prospective students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have found several that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the only things that must be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are available.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Elkins Park PA

Elkins Park PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general approaches to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Elkins Park PA. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most common programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to finish and are offered by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Pennsylvania institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Guidelines

Elkins Park PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Elkins Park PA can undertake a wide range of functions, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly around four to five years of experience is required in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be earned in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes three 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools in Elkins Park PA

attending electrician school online in Elkins Park PA A possibility that you may have considered is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning may be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Driving costs from Elkins Park PA are also lessened and some of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Elkins Park PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Elkins Park PA region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first 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 although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Elkins Park PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire a quality education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some states mandate that the electrician training course 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 lower completion rate might indicate that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It may also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high 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 utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Elkins Park PA graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Elkins Park PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area 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 using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Elkins Park PA electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Elkins Park home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees 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 sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to several of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Elkins Park PA, check that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Elkins Park PA?

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

Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the suburbs of Philadelphia, which it borders along Cheltenham Avenue roughly 6 miles (9.7 km) from downtown. An affluent community, it is the home of Lynnewood Hall, a 110-room, derelict Gilded Age mansion.

Elkins Park is served by SEPTA Regional Rail trains on the Warminster Line, West Trenton Line and Lansdale/Doylestown Line at the Elkins Park station. The Jenkintown and Melrose Park stations are also found near the neighborhood of Elkins Park, and are served by the same regional rail lines. SEPTA bus routes 28, 55, 70 and 77 also provide service to Elkins Park.

Toward the western end of Elkins Park is Pennsylvania Route 611 (Old York Road). In Elkins Park, Pennsylvania Route 73 runs along Township Line Road, mostly marking the border between Cheltenham and Abington townships.

The location could not be found.

Choose the Right Electrical Vocational School near Elkins Park PA

Selecting the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each training program provides unique options for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Elkins Park PA.