Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Pittsburgh PA 15201

How to Become an Electrician in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Pittsburgh PA. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are a number of points to evaluate. For example, some students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have located several that are within driving range, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. Even though cost and location are of importance, they are not the sole factors that need to be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when choosing an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are offered.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs near Pittsburgh PA

Pittsburgh PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near Pittsburgh PA. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the three most common programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards students who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees take 2 years to complete and are offered by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Pennsylvania institutions, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out before licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites

Pittsburgh PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Pittsburgh PA can undertake a wide range of functions, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about four to five years of prior experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be earned in several 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 organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online in Pittsburgh PA

attending electrician school online in Pittsburgh PA A possibility that you might have contemplated is selecting an electrician online 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 case they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Driving expenses from Pittsburgh PA are also lessened and some of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Pittsburgh PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Pittsburgh PA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs have acquired 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 pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Pittsburgh PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It may also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to use 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 also that it has the network of contacts to assist Pittsburgh PA graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Pittsburgh PA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Pittsburgh PA electrical company if they can provide some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Pittsburgh residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

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

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Pittsburgh PA, verify that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Pittsburgh PA?

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

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh (/ˈpɪtsbɜːrɡ/ PITS-burg) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the United States, and is the county seat of Allegheny County. As of 2017, a population of 305,704 lives within the city limits, making it the 63rd-largest city in the U.S.[2][5] The metropolitan population of 2,353,045 is the largest in both the Ohio Valley and Appalachia, the second-largest in Pennsylvania (behind Philadelphia), and the 26th-largest in the U.S.

Located at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers, Pittsburgh is known both as "the Steel City" for its more than 300 steel-related businesses and as the "City of Bridges" for its 446 bridges.[6] The city features 30 skyscrapers, two inclined railways, a pre-revolutionary fortification and the Point State Park at the confluence of the rivers. The city developed as a vital link of the Atlantic coast and Midwest, as the mineral-rich Allegheny Mountains made the area coveted by the French and British empires, Virginians, Whiskey Rebels, and Civil War raiders.[7]

Aside from steel, Pittsburgh has led in manufacturing of aluminum, glass, shipbuilding, petroleum, foods, sports, transportation, computing, autos, and electronics.[8] For part of the 20th century, Pittsburgh was behind only New York and Chicago in corporate headquarters employment; it had the most U.S. stockholders per capita.[9] America's 1980s deindustrialization laid off area blue-collar workers and thousands of downtown white-collar workers when the longtime Pittsburgh-based world headquarters moved out.[10] This heritage left the area with renowned museums, medical centers,[11]parks, research centers, libraries, a diverse cultural district and the most bars per capita in the U.S.[12]

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Choose the Ideal Electrician Tech School near Pittsburgh PA

Choosing the right electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Pittsburgh PA.