Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Lansdowne PA 19050

How to Become an Electrician in Lansdowne Pennsylvania

Lansdowne PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Lansdowne PA. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are so many points to consider. For example, some prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their residence. When they have located a few that are within commuting range, they will select the one with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are significant, they are not the sole factors that need to be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your ultimate judgment when picking 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 being an electrician and the training options that are accessible.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Lansdowne PA

Lansdowne PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to get electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Lansdowne PA. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most typical programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards students who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Lansdowne PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Lansdowne PA can perform a multitude of services, including 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 be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around four to five years of practical experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in many specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases entails 3 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you pick not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online in Lansdowne PA

attending electrician school online in Lansdowne PA An option that you may have contemplated is selecting an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs have become more prevalent as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning might be a more practical alternative for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus many online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting expenses from Lansdowne PA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Lansdowne PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Lansdowne PA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are other factors that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Lansdowne PA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate might signify that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Lansdowne PA graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

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

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently 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 Lansdowne PA electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Lansdowne residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving 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 sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Lansdowne PA, verify that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Lansdowne PA?

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

Lansdowne, Pennsylvania

Lansdowne is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States located 6 miles (10 km) southwest of the City Center of Philadelphia. It was named for the Marquess of Lansdowne. As of the 2010 census the borough had a population of 10,620.[3]

Lansdowne grew quickly in the early part of the twentieth century when a railroad stop was established near the intersection of Lansdowne Avenue and Baltimore Pike. The borough is primarily residential with a commercial center near the original railroad stop. The borough also contained some light industrial buildings which have been in decline in recent decades.

Lansdowne is located in eastern Delaware County at 39°56′29″N 75°16′31″W / 39.94139°N 75.27528°W / 39.94139; -75.27528 (39.941345, -75.275343).[4] It is bordered to the southeast by Yeadon, to the southwest by Aldan and Clifton Heights, and to the north, east, west, and south by Upper Darby Township. Drexel Hill, a part of Upper Darby Township, borders Lansdowne to the northwest, and the borough of East Lansdowne is just 0.1 miles (0.16 km) east of the Lansdowne border.

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Select the Ideal Electrician Vocational School near Lansdowne PA

Selecting the ideal electrical training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Lansdowne PA.