Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Orem UT 84057

How to Become an Electrician in Orem Utah

Orem UT electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Orem UT. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are so many factors to examine. For example, some students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have identified some that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the sole qualifications that need to be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your final judgment when picking an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are available.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options near Orem UT

Orem UT electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general options to get electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Orem UT. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are brief summaries of the three most typical programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Utah technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Utah community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Utah institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines

Orem UT electricians working on power lines Electricians in Orem UT can perform a multitude of services, including 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 municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally about 4 to 5 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 understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be obtained in numerous specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes 3 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician tech school that you pick not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online in Orem UT

attending electrician school online in Orem UT A possibility that you might have contemplated is selecting an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning can be a more convenient choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting costs from Orem UT are also lessened and a portion of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Orem UT electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Orem UT region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Orem UT program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states mandate 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 reviewing 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 signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It might also signify that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high 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 utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Orem UT graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction 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 businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Orem UT area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Orem UT electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Orem residence. Remember that if you decide to attend 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 receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Orem UT, check that the programs you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Orem UT?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Orem UT area.

Orem, Utah

Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about 45 miles (72 km) south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and Juab counties. The population was 84,324 at the 2000 census, while the 2010 population was 88,328[5] making it the fifth-largest city in Utah. Utah Valley University is located in Orem. The Orem Owlz of the minor league baseball Pioneer League play their home games at the college.

Orem uses the slogan "Family City USA." In 2010 Forbes rated it the 5th best place to raise a family.[6] Also, Time magazine rated the Provo-Orem area as the best place to live for spiritual well-being, due to a high population of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[7] At one time the area was known as Sharon, a Biblical name for a mostly level strip of land running between mountains and the sea, and the name of the Vermont birth town of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.[8] Another former name was Provo Bench. In an apparent attempt to attract more investment to the town and provide an easy way for the large population of farmers with orchards to ship produce, in 1914 it was named after Walter C. Orem, President of the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad in the early 1900s. Orem was incorporated in 1919.

As of 2011 the 88,112 residents of Orem had a racial and ethnic composition of 89.3% white, 0.9% black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.5% Pacific Islanders, 4% non-Hispanics reporting some other race, 2.9% two or more races reported and 14.8% Hispanic, as Orem has a large Mexican American community with other Latinos residing in the city. This contrasts with the census[1] of 2000, which showed a racial makeup of 90.80% White, 0.33% African American, 0.73% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.86% Pacific Islander, 3.64% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.56% of the population. The 2000 Census counted 84,324 people, 23,382 households, and 19,079 families. The population density at that time was 4,572.6 people per square mile (1,765.6/km²). There were 24,166 housing units at an average density of 1,310.4 per square mile (506.0/km²). There were 23,382 households out of which 48.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.57 and the average family size was 3.93.

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Find the Ideal Electrical Technical School near Orem UT

Selecting the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the teachers and students. 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 right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Orem UT.