Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Orefield PA 18069

How to Become an Electrician in Orefield Pennsylvania

Orefield PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Orefield PA. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are a number of factors to evaluate. For instance, some potential students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have identified several that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the only qualifications that need to be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are available.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Orefield PA

Orefield PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general ways to get electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Orefield PA. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief explanations 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 those who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Requirements

Orefield PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Orefield PA can carry out a multitude of services, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about four to five years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as 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 available differ by state and can be obtained in several specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes three levels of competency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you select not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Programs Online in Orefield PA

attending electrician school online in Orefield PA A possibility that you might have looked at is selecting an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs have become more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more accommodating option for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Driving costs from Orefield PA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Orefield PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Orefield PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional variables that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Orefield PA program and school 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 get a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Also, 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 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 may suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Orefield PA graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Orefield PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Orefield PA electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Orefield residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the teachers 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 assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Orefield PA, verify that the programs you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Orefield PA?

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

Orefield, Pennsylvania

Orefield is a small unincorporated community in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States, split between North Whitehall and South Whitehall township. Located along Pennsylvania Route 309, Orefield has the zip code of 18069. Its name is derived from the extensive deposits of limonite (iron ore) once mined here. It was once the terminus of the Siegersville Branch of the Ironton Railroad, which was extended here to haul the ore.

Orefield is the former home to Parkland High School. It is a part of the Lehigh Valley and is only a few miles outside of Allentown. It is surrounded by many suburban housing developments, many of which were former farms operated by the Pennsylvania Dutch whose influence in the community is waning. There are many covered bridges nearby which cross the Jordan Creek.

Located near Orefield is a large factory for Alpo Dog Food, which has been owned by the Ralston Purina Company since the 1990s. Also located nearby are the Jaindl turkey farms, which provide the turkey for the White House on many Thanksgivings. Located in Orefield is Shankweiler's Drive-In, the second drive-in ever built (1934) and America's oldest operating drive-in theater.

The location could not be found.

Enroll in the Ideal Electrical Tech School near Orefield PA

Picking the ideal electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak 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 school you choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Orefield PA.