Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Perkasie PA 18944

How to Become an Electrician in Perkasie Pennsylvania

Perkasie PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Perkasie PA. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are a number of factors to examine. For example, many prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have found some that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. Although cost and location are significant, they are not the only things that need to be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should help mold your final judgment when selecting an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are available.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Perkasie PA

Perkasie PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several approaches to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Perkasie PA. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Bellow are brief explanations of the three most typical programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve two years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Criteria

Perkasie PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Perkasie PA can carry out a multitude of functions, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about 4 to 5 years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be acquired in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician tech school that you pick not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Schools in Perkasie PA

attending electrician school online in Perkasie PA An alternative that you may have looked at is choosing an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case 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 may be attended online, internet learning might be a more convenient choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Travelling expenses from Perkasie PA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Perkasie PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Perkasie PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other variables that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Perkasie PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive a quality education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order 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 complete the course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It could also indicate that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which may result in 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 an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Perkasie PA grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools 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 Perkasie PA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Perkasie PA electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Perkasie 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 fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Perkasie PA, confirm that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Perkasie PA?

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

Perkasie, Pennsylvania

Perkasie is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 35 miles (56 km) north of Philadelphia. Establishments in the borough early in the twentieth century included silk mills, baseballs, brickyards, lumber mills, tile works, a stone crusher, and manufacturies of cigars, tags and labels, wire novelties, etc. The population in 1900 was 1,803; in 1910, 2,779 people lived in Perkasie. The population was 8,511 at the 2010 census.

Both the town of Perkasie and Pocasie Creek derive their name from the Lenape Unami phrase Pèhpahkàsink/Poekskossing which translates to "One who goes to the place to crack nuts" Or " one who cracks nuts there". Pahkàsink/Pokesing means "a place to crack nuts". Lastly, Pahkàsi/Pocasie means "to crack nuts". The Dutch/Swedish (before the British settlements) pronounced the word with an r and it stuck. Sink sounded a lot like sing which translates to place or area. There was doubtless a village on the site of the present town before William Penn’s Perkasie Manor was settled."[3] "The "Manor" of Perkasie was one of several in Bucks County and contained 11,462 acres (4,639 ha). Laid out and surveyed in 1708 it embraced most of Hilltown and Rockhill Township."[4]

On June 8, 1890, a disastrous fire began at the livery stable located at 7th and Chestnut Streets; twelve buildings were destroyed. Personal buckets and ladders were used to extinguish the fire. Less than a month later, on July 4, 1890, a committee appointed by Perkasie Borough Council met to form the Hope Fire Company. On September 8, 1890, the Hope Fire Company met at Groover's Hall (517 Chestnut Street) and adopted a constitution and by-laws; 32 members were present.

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Pick the Right Electrician Tech School near Perkasie 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 discussed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Perkasie PA.