Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Odessa TX 79760

How to Become an Electrician in Odessa Texas

Odessa TX electrician inspecting circuit panelThe first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Odessa TX. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are a number of variables to evaluate. For instance, many prospective students will start by searching for schools that are close to their residence. When they have identified a few that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole factors that must be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician training school. We will talk about 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 available.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Odessa TX

Odessa TX electrician re-wiring power outletThere are several options to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Odessa TX. You may enroll in 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 other three alternatives. Often these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are brief descriptions of the 3 most typical programs offered.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Texas technical and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
  • Associate Degree Programs involve two years to complete and are provided by Texas community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Texas colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Odessa TX electricians working on power linesElectricians in Odessa TX can perform a wide range of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing 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 be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be acquired in many specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves three levels of competency:

  • An experience requirement
  • Passing a written exam
  • Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial 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 examinations that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online in Odessa TX

attending electrician school online in Odessa TXAn alternative that you might have considered is selecting an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. 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 entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more convenient alternative for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Travelling costs from Odessa TX are also reduced and some of the study materials may be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Odessa TX electrician re-wiring circuit panelWhen you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Odessa TX area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical trade school.

Accreditation.  A large number of electrician trade schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Odessa TX program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you get a quality education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify 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 or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate could signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can mean 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 trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Odessa TX graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs.  Most electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Odessa TX area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Odessa TX electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Odessa home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes.   It’s important that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with some of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees 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 can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Odessa TX, verify that the programs you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Odessa TX?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Odessa TX area.

Odessa, Texas

Odessa /ˌoʊˈdɛsə/ is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County.[3] Odessa's population was 118,918 at the 2010 census making it the 29th-most populous city in Texas; estimates as of July 2015 indicate a population of 159,436 in the city.[4] It is the principal city of the Odessa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Ector County. The metropolitan area is also a component of the larger Midland–Odessa combined statistical area, which had a 2010 census population of 278,801; a recent report from the United States Census Bureau estimates that the combined population as of July 2015 is 320,513.[4][5] In 2014, Forbes magazine ranked Odessa as the third fastest-growing small city in the United States.[6]

Odessa was founded in 1881 as a water stop and cattle-shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway. The first post office opened in 1885. Odessa became the county seat of Ector County in 1891 when the county was first organized. It was incorporated as a city in 1927, after oil was discovered in Ector County on the Connell Ranch southwest of Odessa.[8]

With the opening of the Penn Field in 1929, and the Cowden Field in 1930, oil became a major draw for new residents. In 1925, the population was just 750; by 1929, it had risen to 5,000. For the rest of the twentieth century the city's population and economy grew rapidly during each of a succession of oil booms (roughly in the 1930s–50s, 1970s and 2010s), often with accompanying contractions during the succeeding busts (particularly in the 1960s and 1980s).[8]

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Find the Ideal Electrician Vocational School near Odessa TX

Choosing the ideal electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician training that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Odessa TX.

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