Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Sharon Hill PA 19079

How to Become an Electrician in Sharon Hill Pennsylvania

Sharon Hill PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Sharon Hill PA. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are so many variables to evaluate. For example, some potential students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their home. When they have identified some that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the lowest tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the only qualifications that must be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final decision when picking an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Sharon Hill PA

Sharon Hill PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general approaches to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Sharon Hill PA. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Following are short summaries of the three most common programs offered.

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

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites

Sharon Hill PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Sharon Hill PA can perform a wide range of services, such as 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 municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically around four to five years of practical experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly test electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 3 levels of proficiency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you pick not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Training Classes in Sharon Hill PA

attending electrician school online in Sharon Hill PA An alternative that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning might be a more accommodating option for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Driving costs from Sharon Hill PA are also minimized and some of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Sharon Hill PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Sharon Hill PA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we discussed 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 selection, there are other factors that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Sharon Hill PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you obtain a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, many states require 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 looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also signify that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, 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 affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Sharon Hill PA students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught along 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 companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Sharon Hill PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Sharon Hill PA electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Sharon Hill residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to some of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Sharon Hill PA, confirm that the schools you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Sharon Hill PA?

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

Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania

The Government of Sharon Hill operates under the Pennsylvania State Borough Code. The day to day operations of the borough are exercised through the Borough Manager who is currently Steve Travers. The Mayor of the Borough is Harry Dunfee. The borough currently has a total of 8 Councilmembers.

Sharon Hill is located in eastern Delaware County at 39°54′23″N 75°16′16″W / 39.90639°N 75.27111°W / 39.90639; -75.27111 (39.906340, -75.271008).[4] It is bordered to the west by Folcroft, to the north by Collingdale and Darby, to the east by Colwyn, and to the south by Darby Township. U.S. Route 13 (Chester Pike) is the main road through the borough, leading northeast 8 miles (13 km) to Center City Philadelphia and southwest 6 miles (10 km) to Chester.

As of Census 2010, the racial makeup of the borough was 32.6% White, 60.6% African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population [1].

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Choose the Ideal Electrician Tech School near Sharon Hill PA

Choosing the right electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch 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 necessity that any electrician training that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on some 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 right training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Sharon Hill PA.