How to Become an Electrician in Seven Valleys Pennsylvania
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Seven Valleys PA. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are so many factors to examine. For example, many prospective students will start by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have found several that are within commuting distance, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole factors that must be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are offered.
Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs near Seven Valleys PA
There are three general options to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Seven Valleys PA. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are brief summaries of the three most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards students who want to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are offered by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in Seven Valleys PA can perform a vast array of duties, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about four to five years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be acquired in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 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 imperative that the electrician tech school that you pick not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online in Seven Valleys PA
A possibility that you may have considered is choosing an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools have become more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning may be a more practical choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Driving costs from Seven Valleys 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 vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Seven Valleys PA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain 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 Seven Valleys PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It might also mean that the teachers were not qualified to instruct 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 directory 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 affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Seven Valleys PA graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Seven Valleys PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Seven Valleys PA electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Seven Valleys home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with several of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Seven Valleys PA, check that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, check 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 Seven Valleys PA?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Seven Valleys PA area.
Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania
The Seven Valleys basin was settled by forty families of the German Lutheran and Reformed faiths. They originated in the Hunsruck Mountains of the Rhineland Palatinate and arrived in this valley of the Codorus during the early fall of 1738. The lush meadows and gently rolling hills here reminded them of their homeland, even to the presence of seven valleys in the vicinity, and they called it Das Siebenthal, which in German means Seven Valleys.
By 1752 these religious hardworking farmers had organized churches and parochial schools, and holding fast to their German heritage, worshipped God and taught their children in the Pfalzer dialect of the German language for nearly 150 years.
With the coming of the railroad in 1838 and the opportunity to trade commercially with the outside world, the use of the English language gradually crept into the culture and by the end of the Civil War the use of German slowly began fading into the background.
Enroll in the Right Electrician Technical School near Seven Valleys PA
Choosing the ideal electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each program offers unique options for certification as well. Probably The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Seven Valleys PA.
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