Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Chesapeake VA 23320

How to Become an Electrician in Chesapeake Virginia

Chesapeake VA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Chesapeake VA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are so many variables to evaluate. For instance, many potential students will start by looking for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have located a few that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that should be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are accessible.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Chesapeake VA

Chesapeake VA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several approaches to get electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Chesapeake VA. You can 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 first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are short summaries of the three most typical programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Virginia vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards those who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees involve two years to finish and are provided by Virginia community colleges, usually 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 previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Virginia institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites

Chesapeake VA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Chesapeake VA can undertake a wide range of functions, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about four to five years of practical experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves 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 imperative that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Programs Online in Chesapeake VA

attending electrician school online in Chesapeake VA A possibility that you might have considered is choosing an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning can be a more accommodating option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Commuting costs from Chesapeake VA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Chesapeake VA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Chesapeake VA area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Chesapeake VA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It may also indicate that the teachers 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 broader directory of graduates, which may produce more contacts for the school to utilize 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 Chesapeake VA grads secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Chesapeake VA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Chesapeake VA electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Chesapeake residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Chesapeake VA, check that the schools you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Chesapeake VA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Chesapeake VA area.

Chesapeake, Virginia

Chesapeake is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 222,209;[3] in 2013, the population was estimated to be 232,977,[4] making it the third-most populous city in Virginia.

Chesapeake is included in the Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News, VA–NC MSA. One of the cities in the South Hampton Roads, Chesapeake was organized in 1963 by voter referendums approving the political consolidation of the city of South Norfolk with the remnants of the former Norfolk County, which dated to 1691. (Much of the territory of the county had been annexed by other cities.) Chesapeake is the second-largest city by land area in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the 17th-largest in the United States.

Chesapeake is a diverse city in which a few urban areas are located; it also has many square miles of protected farmland, forests, and wetlands, including a substantial portion of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Extending from the rural border with North Carolina to the harbor area of Hampton Roads adjacent to the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach, Chesapeake is located on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It has miles of waterfront industrial, commercial and residential property.

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Pick the Right Electrical Tech School near Chesapeake VA

Picking the ideal electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every training program offers unique options for certification also. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Chesapeake VA.