Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Montoursville PA 17754

How to Become an Electrician in Montoursville Pennsylvania

Montoursville PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Montoursville PA. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many variables to consider. For example, many students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have identified a few that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the only things that need to be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are available.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Montoursville PA

Montoursville PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Montoursville PA. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief summaries of the three most typical programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Pennsylvania trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees take two years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Guidelines

Montoursville PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Montoursville PA can perform a vast array of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually around four to five years of prior experience is required in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be earned in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually 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 crucial that the electrician tech school that you select not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online in Montoursville PA

attending electrician school online in Montoursville PA An alternative that you might have considered is selecting an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools have become more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, internet learning may be a more convenient choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Commuting costs from Montoursville PA are also lessened and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Montoursville PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Montoursville PA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are other variables that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Montoursville PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved 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 could signify that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also indicate 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 broader list of graduates, which may 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 industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Montoursville PA students secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Montoursville PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school 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, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Montoursville PA electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Montoursville home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with a few of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Montoursville PA, check that the programs you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Montoursville PA?

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

Montoursville, Pennsylvania

Montoursville is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,777. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Williamsport Regional Airport is located in Montoursville.

Developed on the east bank of the river near the former native village of Otstonwakin, the borough is named for Andrew Montour, the French/Native American and son of Madame Montour. Madame Montour was a Native American interpreter and negotiator who was important in colonial history for her service to the British in New York and Pennsylvania. She was considered the leader of the native village. Her son Andrew Montour also became influential as an interpreter and negotiator, serving colonial governments in Pennsylvania and Virginia, including during the French and Indian War.

Otstawonkin was a native village located at the mouth of Loyalsock Creek on the West Branch Susquehanna River. The Great Shamokin Path ran along the west bank of the river, where late 20th century archeology has shown the village was mostly located.[5] During the 1730s and 1740s, it became an important stopping point for Moravian missionaries who preached in frontier Pennsylvania. For example, Count Zinzendorf, a missionary guided by Conrad Weiser with the permission of Oneida chief Shikellamy, came to Otstonwakin in 1742.

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Enroll in the Right Electrician Tech School near Montoursville PA

Picking the right electrical training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every training program offers different options for certification also. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Montoursville PA.