Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Homestead PA 15120

How to Become an Electrician in Homestead Pennsylvania

Homestead PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Homestead PA. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are a number of points to consider. For instance, many prospective students will start by searching for schools that are close to their home. When they have identified some that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are of importance, they are not the only factors that must be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician school. We will discuss 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 training choices that are accessible.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Homestead PA

Homestead PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple approaches to receive electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Homestead PA. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the 3 most common programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who wish to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require 2 years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Pennsylvania institutions, but are less popular at four 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 prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria

Homestead PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Homestead PA can carry out a multitude of services, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about four to five years of practical experience is called for before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in several specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you pick not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online in Homestead PA

attending electrician school online in Homestead PA An option that you may have contemplated is selecting an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more practical choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Travelling expenses from Homestead PA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Homestead PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Homestead PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional variables that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research before choosing an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Homestead PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you receive an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate might signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It could also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher 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 use 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 also that it has the network of contacts to help Homestead PA graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many 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 comparing have working partnerships with Homestead PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Homestead PA electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Homestead residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the teachers and learn 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 reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Homestead PA, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Homestead PA?

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

Homestead, Pennsylvania

Homestead is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, in the Monongahela River valley 7 miles (11 km) southeast of downtown Pittsburgh and directly across the river from the city limit line. The borough is known for the Homestead Strike of 1892, an important event in the history of labor relations in the United States. The population of Homestead was 3,165 at the 2010 census.[3]

The area on the south bank of the Monongahela River now comprising the boroughs of Homestead, Munhall and West Homestead saw the first white settlers arrive in the 1770s. One hundred years later, much of the existing farmland on the flats and hillsides by the river was purchased, laid out in lots and sold by local banks and land owners to create the town of Homestead. The town was chartered in 1880. The building of a railroad, glass factory, and in 1881 the first iron mill began a period of rapid growth and prosperity. In 1883, Andrew Carnegie bought out Homestead Steel Works, adding it to his empire of steel and coke enterprises. Carnegie had recently acquired a controlling interest in Henry Clay Frick's coke works on the Monongahela, setting the stage for the dramatic labor clash in Homestead.

Homestead gained international notoriety in July 1892 as the site of a violent clash between locked-out steelworkers and hired Pinkerton guards, known as the Homestead Strike. When Henry Clay Frick, manager for Andrew Carnegie, owner of the local Homestead Steel Works, announced in the spring of 1892 that skilled workers would receive a reduction in wages, the advisory committee of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers refused to sign a new contract. Carnegie's management locked the workforce out, declaring that the union would no longer be recognized at the steel works.

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Select the Ideal Electrician Vocational School near Homestead PA

Selecting the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. 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 looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each program provides unique options for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Homestead PA.