Find Electrician Schools Near Me in West Mifflin PA 15122

How to Become an Electrician in West Mifflin Pennsylvania

West Mifflin PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near West Mifflin PA. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many points to consider. For instance, many students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have identified a few that are within driving range, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the sole things that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are available.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near West Mifflin PA

West Mifflin PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general options to receive electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near West Mifflin PA. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Often these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs require two years to complete and are offered by Pennsylvania community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Pennsylvania institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out before licensing. Therefore, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines

West Mifflin PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in West Mifflin PA can perform a multitude of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually around four to five years of prior experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be acquired in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician tech school that you select not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Programs in West Mifflin PA

attending electrician school online in West Mifflin PA An alternative that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs have become more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning can be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Driving expenses from West Mifflin PA are also minimized and some of the study materials may be accessed on line also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Training Schools

West Mifflin PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the West Mifflin PA area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other variables that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Many electrician technical programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the West Mifflin PA program and school are 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 receive an excellent education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order 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 complete the program. A low completion rate might signify that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It may also suggest that the teachers were not qualified 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 broader directory of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist West Mifflin PA grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician vocational 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 inside their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with West Mifflin PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local West Mifflin PA electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your West Mifflin home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with a few of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near West Mifflin PA, verify that the programs you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near West Mifflin PA?

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

West Mifflin, Pennsylvania

West Mifflin is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, located southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. The population was 20,313 at the 2010 census.[4] It is named after Thomas Mifflin, 1st Governor of Pennsylvania, signer of the United States Constitution, and 1st Quartermaster General of the United States Army.[5]

Although the borough is heavily residential, it is home to one of America's oldest traditional amusement parks, Kennywood Park. Other employers include advanced naval nuclear propulsion technology research and development facility, Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory; monorail manufacturer Bombardier; US Steel's Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant; Community College of Allegheny County's South Campus; and the Allegheny County Airport.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 14.4 square miles (37 km2), of which 14.2 square miles (37 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2), or 1.80%, is water. The landscape is largely hilly and wooded, and the borough's eastern boundary is contiguous with the Monongahela River three separate times. Much of the original landscape has been altered as a result of the historic dumping of steel mill byproducts such as slag and fly ash.

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Choose the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near West Mifflin PA

Selecting the right electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical training program that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification also. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in West Mifflin PA.