Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Clarksville VA 23927

How to Become an Electrician in Clarksville Virginia

Clarksville VA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Clarksville VA. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are a number of variables to evaluate. For instance, many prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have found some that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the sole factors that must be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician school. We will address 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 educational choices that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Clarksville VA

Clarksville VA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several options to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Clarksville VA. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are brief descriptions of the three most typical programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Virginia trade and technical schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by Virginia community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Virginia colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed before licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Criteria

Clarksville VA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Clarksville VA can perform a vast array of duties, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around four to five years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be acquired in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 3 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you choose not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online in Clarksville VA

attending electrician school online in Clarksville VA A possibility that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more convenient choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Travelling expenses from Clarksville VA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Clarksville VA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Clarksville VA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other factors that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Clarksville VA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire a superior education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some 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 finish the program. A low completion rate could signify that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It could also mean that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Clarksville VA graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Clarksville VA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Clarksville VA electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Clarksville home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger 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. Talk with a few of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Clarksville VA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Clarksville VA?

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

Clarksville, Virginia

Clarksville is a town in Mecklenburg county in the U.S. state of Virginia, near the southern border of the commonwealth. The population was 1,139 at the 2010 census. Since the town has numerous buildings of the 18th-, 19th-, and early 20th-century architecture, the downtown area of Clarksville has been designated a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places and Virginia's Historic Register. Clarksville claims the title of Virginia's only Lakeside town.[4] Nearby the town of Clarksville is Occoneechee State Park.

The town is located on Kerr Lake, which is also known as Buggs Island Lake. The 50,000-acre (202 km2) lake is popular for boating and fishing; especially for catfish and many varieties of freshwater bass including largemouth bass, striped bass and crappie.

The Virginia Lake Festival is held annually at Clarksville during the third weekend of July. The town often attracts approximately 80,000 visitors during this three-day event, formerly and colloquially known as "Lakefest". It culminates with a fireworks show on the lake.

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Select the Right Electrical Trade School near Clarksville VA

Picking the best electrician 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 a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Clarksville VA.