Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Southampton PA 18966

How to Become an Electrician in Southampton Pennsylvania

Southampton PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Southampton PA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many points to consider. For instance, many students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have identified a few that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that should be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your final decision when picking an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Southampton PA

Southampton PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Southampton PA. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most typical programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Pennsylvania trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards students who would like to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to complete and are offered 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 readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Pennsylvania institutions, but are less preferred 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 4 years be performed before licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements

Southampton PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Southampton PA can perform a wide range of duties, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about four to five years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually assess electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in various specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes three 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you pick not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online in Southampton PA

attending electrician school online in Southampton PA An option that you might have considered is selecting an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools have become more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning might be a more accommodating alternative for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Travelling costs from Southampton PA are also minimized and some of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Southampton PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Because there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Southampton PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional variables that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Southampton PA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you obtain an excellent education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it 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 complete the program. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It could also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader 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 validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Southampton PA graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Southampton PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form 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 up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Southampton PA electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Southampton residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in 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 individualized 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 observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Southampton PA, verify that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Southampton PA?

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

Southampton, Pennsylvania

Southampton, Pennsylvania is a namesake of Southampton, England, the seaport from which adventurous followers of William Penn sailed to the Province of Pennsylvania. By 1685, Southampton was recognized by the Provincial Council as a township, and the lands within its borders had been allocated to thirteen original purchasers: John Luff, John Martin, Robert Pressmore, Richard Wood, John Jones, Mark Betres, John Swift, Enoch Flowers, Joseph Jones, Thomas Groom, Robert Marsh, Thomas Hould and John Gilbert, whose tracts were delineated on a Map of the Improved Part of the Province of Pennsylvania drafted by Thomas Holme, Penn's Surveyor General.

Southampton's boundaries at that time extended eastward to Bensalem, and it was not until 1929 that the township was divided into "Upper Southampton" and "Lower Southampton". Its immediate bordering towns are now Feasterville, Huntingdon Valley, Warminster, and Churchville.

In order to ensure peaceful coexistence with the Indians residing in this region, Penn purchased the land with wampum and other valuable commodities including items of clothing, fish hooks, axes, knives and other useful tools. The area between the Pennypack and Neshaminy Creeks, encompassing Southampton Township, was conveyed by the Lenni-Lenape Chief Tamanend to William Penn by Deed dated June 23, 1683.

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Choose the Right Electrical Tech School near Southampton PA

Selecting the ideal electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training program that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Southampton PA.