Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Great Falls VA 22066

How to Become an Electrician in Great Falls Virginia

Great Falls VA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Great Falls VA. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are a number of factors to consider. For instance, many students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their home. After they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that should be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional options that are available.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near Great Falls VA

Great Falls VA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Great Falls VA. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the 3 most typical programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Virginia vocational and trade schools and require approximately 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 require two years to complete and are offered by Virginia junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Virginia institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria

Great Falls VA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Great Falls VA can undertake a wide range of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about four to five years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes 3 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online in Great Falls VA

attending electrician school online in Great Falls VA A possibility that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools have become more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Travelling costs from Great Falls VA are also reduced and some of the study materials may be accessed online also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Great Falls VA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Great Falls VA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first two that we discussed 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 although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Great Falls VA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive a superior education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some states require 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 of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate might indicate that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It may also signify 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 broader directory of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to use 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 field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Great Falls VA graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught along 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 electrical businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Great Falls VA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure 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 in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Great Falls VA electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Great Falls home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult 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 students and instructors. Talk to a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Great Falls VA, confirm that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Great Falls VA?

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

Great Falls, Virginia

Great Falls is located at 38°59′53″N 077°17′18″W / 38.99806°N 77.28833°W / 38.99806; -77.28833 (38.9981653, −77.2883157) at an elevation of 344 feet (105 m).[3][8] Located on Virginia State Route 7 in Northern Virginia, Great Falls is 15 miles (24 km) west-northwest of downtown Washington, D.C. and 10.5 miles (16.9 km) north of Fairfax, the county seat.[9]

Great Falls lies in the Piedmont upland on the right bank of the Potomac River.[10][11] The river forms the northern and eastern border of the CDP, and several of its tributaries flow north and east through the CDP. From north to south, these include Nichols Run, Clarks Branch, and Difficult Run. Difficult Run forms the southeastern border of the CDP. Two of its tributaries, Captain Hickory Run and Piney Run, flow southeast through the southern part of the CDP.[9][11] The Great Falls of the Potomac River, the community's namesake, are on the east side of the CDP.[11]

As a suburb of Washington, D.C., Great Falls is a part of both the Washington Metropolitan Area and the larger Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. It is bordered on all sides by other Washington suburbs, including: Darnestown and Travilah, Maryland to the north, Potomac, Maryland to the east, McLean to the southeast, Wolf Trap to the south, Reston and Dranesville to the southwest, Sterling to the west, and Lowes Island to the northwest.[12]

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Find the Right Electrical Trade School near Great Falls VA

Selecting the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training program that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every training program offers different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you choose is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Great Falls VA.