Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Tarentum PA 15084

How to Become an Electrician in Tarentum Pennsylvania

Tarentum PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Tarentum PA. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many points to examine. For instance, some prospective students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have found several that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the most affordable tuition. Even though cost and location are significant, they are not the sole things 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 qualifiers should help mold your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Tarentum PA

Tarentum PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general ways to receive electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Tarentum PA. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are short summaries of the 3 most common programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve two years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites

Tarentum PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Tarentum PA can carry out a wide range of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually around four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be acquired in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 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 vocational school that you pick not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may need to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Training Classes Online in Tarentum PA

attending electrician school online in Tarentum PA A possibility that you may have looked at is selecting an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning may be a more accommodating option for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Commuting expenses from Tarentum PA are also minimized and some of the study materials can be available online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Tarentum PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Tarentum PA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional factors that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Tarentum PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a superior education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to employ 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 trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Tarentum PA graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Tarentum PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Tarentum PA electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Tarentum residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added 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 difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to some of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Tarentum PA, verify that the schools you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Tarentum PA?

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

Tarentum, Pennsylvania

Tarentum is a borough in Allegheny County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh, along the Allegheny River. Tarentum was an industrial center where plate glass and bottles were manufactured; bricks, lumber, steel and iron novelties, steel billets and sheets, sack and wrapping paper were also produced. The Pennsylvania Railroad operated a station in Tarentum; its rail line ran through the town.[3] The population was 4,530 at the 2010 census.[4] Two statues of Hebe, the Greek goddess of youth, are displayed by the borough in Tarentum.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2), of which 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2), or 12.06%, is water.

Tarentum is bordered by East Deer Township to the west, Frazer Township to the northwest, Fawn Township to the north, Harrison Township to the northeast, and Brackenridge to the east. To the southeast, across the Allegheny River in Westmoreland County, are New Kensington (via Tarentum Bridge) and Lower Burrell.

The location could not be found.

Enroll in the Right Electrical Technical School near Tarentum PA

Picking the right electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Tarentum PA.