Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Glen Rock PA 17327

How to Become an Electrician in Glen Rock Pennsylvania

Glen Rock PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Glen Rock PA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many variables to examine. For example, many potential students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have identified some that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though location and cost are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your final judgment when picking an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are accessible.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near Glen Rock PA

Glen Rock PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general options to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Glen Rock PA. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are short explanations of the three most common programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically offered by Pennsylvania trade and technical schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards those who wish 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 offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less favored at four 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 completed before licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites

Glen Rock PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Glen Rock PA can carry out a wide range of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around 4 to 5 years of experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be acquired in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you choose not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs in Glen Rock PA

attending electrician school online in Glen Rock PA An alternative that you may have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, distance learning can be a more accommodating option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting costs from Glen Rock PA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be available online as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Glen Rock PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Glen Rock PA region, it’s essential 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 needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other factors that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Glen Rock PA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Also, some states require 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It might also mean that the teachers 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 may produce more contacts for the school to employ 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 trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Glen Rock PA students secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Glen Rock PA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area 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 using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Glen Rock PA electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within driving distance of your Glen Rock home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging 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 instructors and students. Speak to several of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

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 in the evening or on weekends near Glen Rock PA, verify that the schools you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Glen Rock PA?

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

Glen Rock, Pennsylvania

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 1,809 people, 708 households, and 506 families residing in the borough. The racial makeup of the borough was 98.07% White, 1.00% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population.

There were 708 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the borough the population was spread out with 29.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.

The location could not be found.

Find the Right Electrical Trade School near Glen Rock PA

Picking the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical training program that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each program provides different options for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Glen Rock PA.