Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Lairdsville PA 17742

How to Become an Electrician in Lairdsville Pennsylvania

Lairdsville PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Lairdsville PA. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many points to consider. For example, some potential students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have located a few that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are of importance, they are not the only factors that need to be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are available.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near Lairdsville PA

Lairdsville PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general approaches to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near Lairdsville PA. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three options. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the three most common programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Pennsylvania institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed before licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines

Lairdsville PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Lairdsville PA can undertake a vast array of services, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you choose not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Programs in Lairdsville PA

attending electrician school online in Lairdsville PA A possibility that you may have contemplated is choosing an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning can be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Travelling costs from Lairdsville PA are also lessened and some of the study materials can be accessed online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Lairdsville PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Lairdsville PA region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other variables that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research prior to selecting an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Lairdsville PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get a quality education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it 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 complete the course. A low completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It could also signify that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also 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 produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Lairdsville PA students acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Lairdsville PA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Lairdsville PA electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Lairdsville residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Talk to some of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Lairdsville PA, confirm that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask 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 Lairdsville PA?

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

Pennsylvania Route 118

Pennsylvania Route 118 (PA 118) is a 42.248-mile-long (67.992 km) state route located in northeastern Pennsylvania. The western terminus of the route is at PA 405 in Hughesville. The eastern terminus is at PA 415 in Dallas. The road is known briefly as East Water Street from its western terminus to its intersection with 6th Street in Hughesville, where it becomes Lairdsville Road for 12 miles (19 km) until crossing PA 42 near Unityville. It joins PA 487 for one mile (1.6 km) in Red Rock, where it passes through the southern part of Ricketts Glen State Park. In 1928, the road between Hughesville and Unityville was designated as part of PA 642 while the portion between Red Rock and Lehman was designated as a portion of PA 115. PA 642 was extended from PA 42 in Unityville to PA 539 in the 1940s. During the 1950s, PA 115 was rerouted from Red Rock to head west and replace PA 642 to Hughesville. PA 115 was also realigned to run between Lehman and Dallas. In 1961, PA 118 replaced the portion of PA 115 between Hughesville and Dallas.

Route 118 begins at an intersection with PA 405 (Main Street) in the center of Hughesville in Lycoming County. The route progresses southeastward through the borough as East Water Street. The local street crosses a long stretch of commercial businesses before reaching North Fifth Street, where it turns to the east and crosses over Muncy Creek. After crossing the river, PA 118 changes names to Lairdville Road and the surroundings become residential. The route there turns to the southeast once again, paralleling a long distance with Gregg Run Road. The surroundings quickly change to farmland, and PA 118 continues east through woodlands that begins soon after. At the intersection with Old Lairdsville Road, the route turns to the northeast until a short clearing, where the highway intersects with L Harman Road. At that intersection, the route turns to the southeast once again.[3]

Heading through now Moreland Township, the woodlands soon give way in favor of open fields, where the route intersects with Neuhard and Stan Warn Roads. There, PA 118 turns even further to the southeast and makes a large bend to the northeast later on, where the highway enters the hamlet of Frenchtown. The highway leaves the rural hamlet to the northeast, paralleling Old Lairdsville Road, which soon merges back in. The highway continues, leaving the fields for more woodlands, paralleling an old alignment of PA 118. A short distance after the old alignment stops paralleling, PA 118 breaks free of the woodlands in favor of the village of Lairdsville. Through Lairdsville, the highway passes a long stretch of residential homes and intersects with Dark Hollow Road. At Dark Hollow Road, PA 118 leaves Lairdsville and enters the rural segments of Franklin Township.[3]

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Pick the Ideal Electrician Trade School near Lairdsville PA

Selecting the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical training that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training program offers unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Lairdsville PA.