Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Falls Church VA 22040

How to Become an Electrician in Falls Church Virginia

Falls Church VA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Falls Church VA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to evaluate. For instance, some prospective students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their home. After they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the only things that need to be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your final decision when choosing an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are available.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options near Falls Church VA

Falls Church VA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general options to get electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Falls Church VA. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the 3 most typical programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Virginia vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees involve two years to finish and are offered by Virginia junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Virginia institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 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 a component of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Falls Church VA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Falls Church VA can carry out a wide range of functions, including testing, installing and replacing 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 be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around four to five years of experience is required in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be obtained in several specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes three levels of proficiency:

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 crucial that the electrician tech school that you choose not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online in Falls Church VA

attending electrician school online in Falls Church VA An alternative that you might have looked at is choosing an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, distance learning can be a more convenient choice for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Commuting costs from Falls Church VA are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be available online also. Each of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Falls Church VA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Falls Church VA region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. 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 needs to be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Falls Church 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 may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It might also indicate that the teachers were not qualified 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 can result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Falls Church VA students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Falls Church VA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed 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, consult with the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Falls Church VA electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Falls Church home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be higher 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 sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Falls Church VA, verify 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 allows part-time enrollment. Finally, 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 Falls Church VA?

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

Falls Church, Virginia

Falls Church is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia.[1] As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,332.[2] The estimated population in 2015 was 13,892.[3] Falls Church is included in the Washington metropolitan area. Falls Church has the lowest level of poverty of any independent city or county in the United States.[4]

Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Church of England (later Episcopal Church) parish, Falls Church gained township status within Fairfax County in 1875. In 1948, it was incorporated as the City of Falls Church, an independent city with county-level governance status although it is not a county.[5]

The city's corporate boundaries do not include all of the area historically known as Falls Church; these areas include portions of Seven Corners and other portions of the current Falls Church postal districts of Fairfax County, as well as the area of Arlington County known as East Falls Church, which was part of the town of Falls Church from 1875 to 1936.[6] For statistical purposes, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Falls Church with Fairfax City and Fairfax County.

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Enroll in the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Falls Church VA

Picking the ideal electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary 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. Every program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you select is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Falls Church VA.