Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Harrisburg PA 17101

How to Become an Electrician in Harrisburg Pennsylvania

Harrisburg PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Harrisburg PA. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are so many factors to examine. For example, some students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their residence. After they have found some that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the sole things that should be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when picking an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are offered.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs near Harrisburg PA

Harrisburg PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several approaches to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Harrisburg PA. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most typical programs offered.

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

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be completed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria

Harrisburg PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Harrisburg PA can perform a vast array of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be obtained in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails three 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Training Classes Online in Harrisburg PA

attending electrician school online in Harrisburg PA An option that you may have looked at is choosing an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Driving costs from Harrisburg PA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be available online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Harrisburg PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Harrisburg PA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Harrisburg PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you acquire a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it 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 percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It might also signify that the instructors were not qualified 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 list of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to utilize 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 trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Harrisburg PA students secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Harrisburg PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school 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 already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Harrisburg PA electrical company if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Harrisburg home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training 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 instructors and students. Talk to several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak 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 programs 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 Harrisburg PA, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Harrisburg PA?

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

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg (/ˈhærɪsbɜːrɡ/ HARR-iss-burg; Pennsylvania German: Harrisbarrig)[citation needed] is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 49,192, it is the 15th largest city in the Commonwealth. It lies on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, 107 miles (172 km) west of Philadelphia. Harrisburg is the anchor of the Susquehanna Valley metropolitan area, which had a 2017 estimated population of 571,903,[8] being the third most populous in Pennsylvania and 96th most populous in the United States.

Harrisburg played a notable role in American history during the Westward Migration, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. During part of the 19th century, the building of the Pennsylvania Canal and later the Pennsylvania Railroad allowed Harrisburg to become one of the most industrialized cities in the Northeastern United States. The U.S. Navy ship USS Harrisburg, which served from 1918 to 1919 at the end of World War I, was named in honor of the city. In the mid-to-late 20th century, the city's economic fortunes fluctuated with its major industries consisting of government, heavy manufacturing, agriculture, and food services (nearby Hershey is home of the chocolate maker, located just 10 miles (16 km) east).

The Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest free indoor agriculture exposition in the United States, was first held in Harrisburg in 1917 and has been held there every early-to-mid January since then.[9] Harrisburg also hosts an annual outdoor sports show, the largest of its kind in North America, an auto show, which features a large static display of new as well as classic cars and is renowned nationwide, and Motorama, a two-day event consisting of a car show, motocross racing, remote control car racing, and more. Harrisburg is also known for the Three Mile Island accident, which occurred on March 28, 1979, near Middletown.

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Select the Ideal Electrical Trade School near Harrisburg PA

Picking the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Harrisburg PA.