How to Become an Electrician in Jellico Tennessee
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Jellico TN. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are a number of variables to consider. For instance, some prospective students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the sole things that need to be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are offered.
Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs near Jellico TN
There are several approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Jellico TN. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by Tennessee 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 enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Tennessee junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Tennessee colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be completed before licensing. Therefore, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Jellico TN can perform a multitude of services, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around four to five years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be acquired in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases entails 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you pick not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online in Jellico TN
A possibility that you might have contemplated is choosing an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools have become more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning might be a more accommodating alternative for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Commuting expenses from Jellico TN are also lessened and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Now that you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Jellico TN area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about 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 while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Jellico TN program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you acquire an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of 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 reviewing 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 could suggest that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader 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 validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Jellico TN graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Jellico TN area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Jellico TN electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Jellico residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Jellico TN, confirm that the programs you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Jellico TN?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Jellico TN area.
Jellico, Tennessee
The name "Jellico" is a regional corruption of "Angelica", an herb that grows in abundance in the surrounding mountains. The name was first applied to the mountains to the west and to the mountains' main drainage, Jellico Creek, which passes 5 miles (8 km) west of the city of Jellico and empties into the Cumberland River near Williamsburg, Kentucky.
In the early 1880s, a high quality bituminous coal was discovered in the Jellico Mountains, and with the completion of railroad tracks to the area in 1883, coal mines quickly sprang up throughout the area. The city of Jellico was initially founded as "Smithburg" in 1878, but changed its name to "Jellico" in 1883 to capitalize on the growing popularity of Jellico coal. The city was incorporated on March 7, 1883.[1]
Throughout the 1890s and early 1900s, Jellico was one of the most productive coal fields in Kentucky and Tennessee. In 1906, a railroad car packed with dynamite exploded in Jellico, killing eight and destroying part of the town.[1] The town quickly recovered, however, and many of the buildings in the Main Street area date from this period.
Pick the Right Electrician Technical School near Jellico TN
Picking the right electrical training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Every training program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Jellico TN.
Other Cool Cities in Tennessee
Business Results 1 - 10 of 2
3 Reviews 
1 Reviews 