Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Antioch TN 37011

How to Become an Electrician in Antioch Tennessee

Antioch TN electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Antioch TN. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are a number of factors to consider. For instance, some prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the sole things that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are accessible.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Antioch TN

Antioch TN electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to obtain electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Antioch TN. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most common programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Tennessee technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards students who would like to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are offered by Tennessee junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Tennessee colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites

Antioch TN electricians working on power lines Electricians in Antioch TN can perform a vast array of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around four to five years of prior experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining 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 obtained in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes three levels of competency:

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 important that the electrician tech school that you pick not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online in Antioch TN

attending electrician school online in Antioch TN An option that you might have considered is choosing an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs have become more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning may be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Travelling costs from Antioch TN are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be accessed on line also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Antioch TN electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Antioch TN region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other variables that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have received 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 a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Antioch TN school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you obtain a quality education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate may suggest that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also suggest that the teachers 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 broader list of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Antioch TN grads acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Antioch TN 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 local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Antioch TN electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Antioch residence. Remember that if you decide to attend 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 individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Antioch TN, check that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Antioch TN?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Antioch TN area.

Antioch, Tennessee

The community known as Antioch began at the convergence of Antioch Pike, Hickory Hollow Parkway, Blue Hole Road, and Mt. View Road. The original town of Antioch began as a church located by Mill Creek in 1810. Antioch was a commuter town because workers traveled to and from downtown Nashville. From the beginning, the town provided immediate services like a post office and general store. For planning purposes, the community was given the name Antioch–Priest Lake because the study area encompassed areas near J. Percy Priest Lake and the neighborhoods that grew from the heart of Antioch in the early 1800s.

In 1810, The First Baptist Church was organized in the area near Mill Creek. Then in 1820, a large landowner by the name of Charles Hays donated land for the church to build on, and began referring to it as the Church at Antioch, giving the town its name. Charles Hays based the name change on Bible scripture (Acts 11:26 KJV) which states "... and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." The village was known as Antioch from 1820 onward. For a short time in the 1870s and 1880s, the post office designation for the village was Oneyville, named after the post master of that time, Dr. J. H. Oney. However, it was later changed back to the Antioch.

Now a town featuring a post office, Antioch began to grow covering an area of one to two miles in either direction. The Antioch mail route itself also covered additional areas outside of those communities. Beyond that initial two mile boundary were the communities of Una, Mt. View, Cane Ridge, Tusculum, and Bakertown.

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Pick the Ideal Electrician Vocational School near Antioch TN

Choosing the right electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical training that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides unique options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Antioch TN.