Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Langhorne PA 19047

How to Become an Electrician in Langhorne Pennsylvania

Langhorne PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Langhorne PA. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are so many points to consider. For instance, many potential students will start by looking for schools that are close to their residence. After they have found a few that are within driving range, they will decide on the one with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that should be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final judgment when choosing 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 being an electrician and the educational choices that are available.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Langhorne PA

Langhorne PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near Langhorne PA. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are short explanations of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who want to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees involve two years to finish and are offered by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less popular at 4 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 performed before licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements

Langhorne PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Langhorne PA can undertake a vast array of duties, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be obtained in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 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 imperative that the electrician vocational school that you pick not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Programs in Langhorne PA

attending electrician school online in Langhorne PA A possibility that you may have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning can be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Travelling expenses from Langhorne PA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be available on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Langhorne PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Langhorne PA region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other variables that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. Many electrician technical 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 a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Langhorne PA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It may also signify that the instructors 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 broader directory of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Langhorne PA grads secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Langhorne PA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Langhorne PA electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Langhorne residence. Remember that if you decide to attend 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 important that you get as much personalized training 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 big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with some 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 expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Langhorne PA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Langhorne PA?

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

Langhorne, Pennsylvania

The name "Langhorne" is used broadly to describe the majority of surrounding Middletown Township, which for the most part uses Langhorne's ZIP code of 19047. Sesame Place, while physically located in surrounding Middletown Township, has Langhorne as its mailing address.

Langhorne began in the 17th century when Jack Alexander built his house in the area. The road from Bristol grew into a very important transportation center between Trenton and Philadelphia in the later 18th century and 19th century. Langhorne eventually became the stagecoach transportation hub of Bucks County, transporting people between Trenton and Philadelphia and was then known as Four Lanes End.

The village became known as Attleborough until 1876, when it was incorporated and named for Jeremiah Langhorne,[3] an early resident of the area and former chief justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

The location could not be found.

Choose the Right Electrician Trade School near Langhorne PA

Picking the best electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Langhorne PA.