Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Oreland PA 19075

How to Become an Electrician in Oreland Pennsylvania

Oreland PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Oreland PA. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are a number of variables to examine. For instance, some students will start by looking for schools that are close to their home. When they have located a few that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the sole things that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when picking an electrician school. We will cover 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 educational choices that are available.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Oreland PA

Oreland PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple options to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Oreland PA. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are brief explanations of the three most prevalent programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards students who wish to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be carried out before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria

Oreland PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Oreland PA can undertake a wide range of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly around 4 to 5 years of experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually test electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be acquired in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 3 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 enroll in not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may be required to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs in Oreland PA

attending electrician school online in Oreland PA An option that you may have looked at is choosing an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, distance learning may be a more practical alternative for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Commuting expenses from Oreland PA are also reduced and some of the study materials may be available online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Oreland PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Oreland PA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are additional variables that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to research before selecting an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Oreland PA school and program 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 obtain an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many 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 looking at 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 dissatisfied with the course and quit. It could also signify that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list 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 will not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Oreland PA grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools 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 referring partnerships with Oreland PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm 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, check with the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Oreland PA electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Oreland home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Oreland PA, verify that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Oreland PA?

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

Oreland, Pennsylvania

Oreland is a United States census-designated place (CDP) in Springfield and Upper Dublin townships, just outside the Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy areas of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Oreland has a ZIP code of 19075, and the population was 5,678 at the 2010 census.

In 1686, Thomas Fitzwater discovered vast lime deposits on his land in Oreland. He erected a kiln to process it, which by 1693 had attracted the attention of William Penn. Penn ordered a highway built from the port of the Delaware River to the kiln. Named Limekiln Pike, and still in existence today, it was one of the first roads in the area. These lime deposits and the ore deposits also found in the area gave Oreland its name. Mining and farming would dominate Oreland's economy until the 20th century, when Oreland transformed into a residential suburb of Philadelphia, as it remains today.

The village of Oreland was not laid out until 1889 near the North Penn Railroad running along the east side of town (currently SEPTA's Lansdale/Doylestown Line). The Plymouth Railroad ran from Conshohocken to Oreland through Plymouth and Flourtown. The tracks were mostly removed in the 1980s. The path where the trains used to run begins northeast of the Oreland Station Apartments, next to Ehrenpfort Road, and runs southwest towards Flourtown. The actual tracks, which still connect to SEPTA's Lansdale/Doylestown Line, end near the corner of Montgomery Avenue and Lyster Road. The path continues all the way to Flourtown, although in the 1990s the path was cut at Oreland Mill Road by housing built on both sides. The remainder of the path today is used primarily by children, runners and bikers.

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Pick the Right Electrical Vocational School near Oreland PA

Picking the best electrician training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Oreland PA.