Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Essington PA 19029

How to Become an Electrician in Essington Pennsylvania

Essington PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Essington PA. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many variables to examine. For example, many potential students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their home. Once they have located several that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that need to be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will discuss 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 offered.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Essington PA

Essington PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several ways to get electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Essington PA. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most prevalent programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by Pennsylvania trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards those who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Pennsylvania institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be carried out before licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines

Essington PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Essington PA can undertake a vast array of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be earned in several specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure 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 trade school that you pick not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Training Classes in Essington PA

attending electrician school online in Essington PA A possibility that you might have considered is selecting an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning may be a more accommodating choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Travelling expenses from Essington PA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be available online as well. Each of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Essington PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Essington PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. 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 important when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Essington PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you get a quality education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved 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 lower completion rate might indicate that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It may also mean that the teachers were not competent 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 list of graduates, which may produce 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 additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Essington PA students acquire apprenticeships or employment.

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

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Essington PA electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Essington home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Essington PA, confirm that the programs you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Essington PA?

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

Pennsylvania Route 291

Pennsylvania Route 291 (PA 291) is an east–west route in Pennsylvania that runs from U.S. Route 13 (US 13) in Trainer, Delaware County east to Interstate 76 (I-76) in South Philadelphia near the Walt Whitman Bridge and the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Except for a short 1-mile (1.6 km) section between US 13 and the Chester/Trainer line, PA 291 is mostly a four-lane highway. It runs parallel to the Delaware River. The route passes through industrial areas near the river in Delaware County, serving Chester, Eddystone, Essington, and Lester. PA 291 enters Philadelphia near the Philadelphia International Airport, at which point it has an interchange with I-95. The route crosses the Schuylkill River on the George C. Platt Memorial Bridge and continues along Penrose Avenue to I-76.

PA 291 was first designated by 1928 along an unpaved road between PA 420 in Prospect Park and PA 191. The route was extended west to US 13 in Eddystone by 1930 on a paved road. PA 291 was realigned to run from US 13 in Trainer to PA 420 in Essington by 1940. The route was extended to US 1/US 13/US 30/US 611 at Broad Street and Spring Garden Street north of Center City Philadelphia by 1950. By 1960, PA 291 was realigned from Essington Avenue and Passyunk Avenue to Penrose Avenue and Broad Street. In the 1960s, the northern terminus was moved to US 30 and US 611 at Vine Street. In the 1970s, the north end was cut back to PA 611 at Philadelphia City Hall. A freeway was proposed along the PA 291 corridor between I-95 and I-76 from 1950 until the 1970s, when it was cancelled due to funding issues. The northern terminus was moved to its current location by 1989, with an extended PA 611 replacing PA 291 on Broad Street. Around 2000, the route was rebuilt as a five-lane road in Chester. PA 291 was realigned further to the west to bypass the Philadelphia International Airport in 2006.

PA 291 begins at an intersection with US 13 near Delta Air Lines' Trainer Refinery in the borough of Trainer in Delaware County, heading southeast on two-lane undivided Price Street. The road passes between homes to the northeast and industrial areas to the southwest. The route makes a sharp curve to the northeast and becomes 2nd Street, crossing into the city of Chester and passing through urban residential and industrial areas. PA 291 continues northeast and becomes a five-lane road with a center left-turn lane as it passes more urban development and empty lots. The route comes to ramps that provide access from the eastbound direction of US 322 and to the westbound direction of US 322 just northwest of where that route crosses the Delaware River on the Commodore Barry Bridge. The road passes under the western approach of the Commodore Barry Bridge carrying US 322.[2][3]

The location could not be found.

Enroll in the Right Electrical Tech School near Essington PA

Choosing the best electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum 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 decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides unique options for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Essington PA.