Find Electrician Schools Near Me in North Wales PA 19454

How to Become an Electrician in North Wales Pennsylvania

North Wales PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near North Wales PA. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of variables to evaluate. For instance, some potential students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have located a few that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. Even though cost and location are significant, they are not the only qualifications that should be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when picking an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are accessible.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options near North Wales PA

North Wales PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general options to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near North Wales PA. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the three most common programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Pennsylvania institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be completed before licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria

North Wales PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in North Wales PA can carry out a wide range of duties, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be earned in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might need to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Programs Online in North Wales PA

attending electrician school online in North Wales PA An alternative that you may have considered is choosing an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, distance learning can be a more practical option for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Commuting expenses from North Wales PA are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools

North Wales PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Because there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the North Wales PA region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the North Wales PA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you acquire a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, 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 schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate may indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also indicate that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist North Wales PA grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician trade programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working relationships with North Wales PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local North Wales PA electrical contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your North Wales home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with a few of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near North Wales PA, check that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near North Wales PA?

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

North Wales, Pennsylvania

North Wales is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Philadelphia, and is one of the three historic population centers that make up the North Penn Valley, which is centered around the borough of Lansdale. The population was 3,229 at the 2010 census.

Like many small boroughs in Pennsylvania, North Wales is at "build out", meaning that its boundaries have not kept up with population growth. Summarily, many businesses and residences with North Wales addresses are located in outlying townships that were never annexed by the borough, such as the Montgomery Mall in Montgomery Township. North Wales is in the North Penn School District.

As its name suggests, North Wales was settled by Welsh immigrants who named it after North Wales in Wales (for more on Welsh settlements in colonial Pennsylvania, see "Welsh Tract"). Part of a 1702 William Penn land grant, this rich farming country was given the name "Gwynedd" for the homeland of the earliest settlers and it began as a pastoral village in agricultural Gwynedd Township.

The location could not be found.

Enroll in the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near North Wales PA

Selecting the ideal electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrician training that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every program offers different options for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to sit in on 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 commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in North Wales PA.