Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Fountainville PA 18923

How to Become an Electrician in Fountainville Pennsylvania

Fountainville PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Fountainville PA. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are so many points to examine. For instance, many potential students will start by searching for schools that are close to their home. When they have located several that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the only factors that should be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should help mold your ultimate decision when picking an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are available.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options near Fountainville PA

Fountainville PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general ways to obtain electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Fountainville PA. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the three most prevalent programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who would like to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed before licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria

Fountainville PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Fountainville PA can perform a multitude of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually around 4 to 5 years of experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be acquired in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails three levels of competency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you select 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 pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online in Fountainville PA

attending electrician school online in Fountainville PA A possibility that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning can be a more practical option for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting expenses from Fountainville PA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Fountainville PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Fountainville PA region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Fountainville 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. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a superior education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly 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 result in more contacts for the school to employ 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 field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Fountainville PA graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Fountainville PA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Fountainville PA electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Fountainville home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Fountainville PA, check that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Fountainville PA?

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

Pennsylvania Route 313

Pennsylvania Route 313 (PA 313) is a mostly 2-lane, 18-mile-long (29 km) state highway entirely within Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The western end of PA 313 is at an intersection with PA 309 and PA 663 in Quakertown. The eastern end is at an intersection with PA 263 in the Doylestown Township community of Furlong. PA 313 is signed an east–west road, although it runs almost purely northwest–southeast through most of its course. It is a major arterial road in central and northern Bucks County as it connects several communities including Quakertown, Dublin, and Doylestown.

The predecessors to present-day PA 313 were the Swamp Road, constructed in 1737, and the Dublin Pike, built in 1876. The route between Kulps Corner and Doylestown was originally designated as part of PA 113 by 1927, with a portion in Quakertown designated as PA 212 by the same time. PA 313 was designated by 1930 to run from PA 212 in Quakertown southeast to PA 113 and PA 413 in Kulps Corner. The roadway was finished during the 1930s. PA 313 was extended southeast to U.S. Route 611 (US 611) at Main Street in Doylestown in 1946, replacing a part of PA 113. PA 313 was realigned to end at US 202 east of Doylestown by 1950. In the 1970s, PA 313 was extended west to run concurrent with PA 212 to its current western terminus; the concurrent PA 212 designation was dropped by the 1990s. The route was extended to its current eastern terminus by 1980.

PA 313 begins at an intersection with PA 309 and the northern terminus of PA 663 in the borough of Quakertown in Bucks County. Past the western terminus, the roadway continues as PA 663. From this intersection, PA 313 heads east on two-lane undivided West Broad Street, passing a mix of homes and businesses before heading into residential areas past the Main Street intersection. The route heads into the commercial downtown of Quakertown, where it splits into a one-way pair with two lanes in each direction. PA 313 becomes a two-way, two-lane road again and crosses the Bethlehem Line railroad line that is owned by SEPTA and operated by the East Penn Railroad, becoming East Broad Street and coming to an intersection with the western terminus of PA 212. Following this intersection, the road passes homes, turning to the southeast. PA 313 continues near more residences with some businesses, making a turn to the east and leaving Quakertown for Richland Township. Here, the route becomes Doylestown Pike and heads southeast through areas of fields and woods with some homes. The road heads into more forested areas and enters East Rockhill Township at the Rockhill Road intersection, where the name changes to Dublin Pike. PA 313 comes to an intersection with PA 563, which heads northeast to Nockamixon State Park, at which point PA 563 joins PA 313 in a concurrency. The road passes to the southwest of the state park and continues through a mix of farm fields and woods with occasional residences. PA 563 splits from PA 313 by heading southwest on Ridge Road.[2][3]

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Choose the Ideal Electrical Trade School near Fountainville PA

Choosing the ideal electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are assessing 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 education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Fountainville PA.