How to Become an Electrician in New Holland Pennsylvania
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near New Holland PA. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are a number of points to consider. For instance, many students will start by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have found a few that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the sole things that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are accessible.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near New Holland PA
There are three general approaches to get electrician training in a technical or vocational school near New Holland PA. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common 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 be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are brief summaries of the three most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Requirements
Electricians in New Holland PA can carry out a wide range 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 required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding 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 acquired in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails 3 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 important that the electrician tech school that you select not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online in New Holland PA
A possibility that you may have looked at is selecting an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools have become more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, distance learning may be a more practical choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting costs from New Holland PA are also lessened and a portion of the study materials may be available on line as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Once you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the New Holland PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to 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 need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the New Holland PA program and school 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 ensure that you get a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It may also signify that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist New Holland PA students secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with New Holland PA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with 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 expecting. If not, ask a local New Holland PA electrical contractor if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your New Holland home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized instruction 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 large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near New Holland PA, verify that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, 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 New Holland PA?
Following is a little bit of background information about the New Holland PA area.
New Holland, Pennsylvania
New Holland (Pennsylvania Dutch: Seischwamm) is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 5,378, up from 5,092 in the 2000 United States Census.
New Holland was settled in 1728 by John Michael Diffenderffer and John Phillip Ranc (Ranck). Before it became known as New Holland, it had been called Hog Swamp, Earltown and New Design.[3] New Holland, Pennsylvania is the twin city of Longvic, France.[4]
New Holland is located at 40°6′8″N 76°5′16″W / 40.10222°N 76.08778°W / 40.10222; -76.08778 (40.102095, -76.087646).[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2), all of it land.
Choose the Right Electrical Vocational School near New Holland PA
Choosing the right electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers different options for certification as well. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you choose is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in New Holland PA.
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