Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Hillsville VA 24343

How to Become an Electrician in Hillsville Virginia

Hillsville VA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Hillsville VA. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of variables to consider. For example, some prospective students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have found a few that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the sole factors that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are accessible.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Hillsville VA

Hillsville VA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several options to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Hillsville VA. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief descriptions of the 3 most common programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by Virginia technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards students who would like to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require 2 years to finish and are offered by Virginia junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Virginia institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements

Hillsville VA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Hillsville VA can carry out a wide range of duties, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically assess electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be earned in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails 3 levels of proficiency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying organizations 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 vocational 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 might be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Training Classes in Hillsville VA

attending electrician school online in Hillsville VA A possibility that you might have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning may be a more convenient choice for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting costs from Hillsville VA are also lessened and some of the study materials may be accessed online also. All of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Hillsville VA electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Hillsville VA area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other factors that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Hillsville VA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It might also mean that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Hillsville VA students secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Hillsville VA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional 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 using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Hillsville VA electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within driving distance of your Hillsville home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be increased 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 bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Hillsville VA, verify that the programs you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, 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 Hillsville VA?

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

Hillsville, Virginia

Hillsville is located in central Carroll County at 36°45′32″N 80°44′04″W / 36.75889°N 80.73444°W / 36.75889; -80.73444 (36.758814, −80.734510).[5] U.S. Routes 52 and 221 intersect in the center of town, while U.S. Route 58 bypasses the town to the south. US 52 leads northwest 28 miles (45 km) to Wytheville and south 22 miles (35 km) to Mount Airy, North Carolina, while US 221 leads northeast 70 miles (110 km) to Roanoke and southwest 13 miles (21 km) to Galax. US 58 leads east 63 miles (101 km) to Martinsville and west to Galax with US 221. The Hillsville town limits extend west along US 221 and 58 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to Interstate 77, which leads north 17 miles (27 km) to Interstate 81 east of Wytheville and south 20 miles (32 km) to Interstate 74 in North Carolina.

The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hillsville has a marine west coast climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.[6]

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,607 people, 1,207 households, and 731 families residing in the town. The population density was 457.6 people per square mile (176.6/km²). There were 1,352 housing units at an average density of 237.3 per square mile (91.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.39% White, 0.19% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 1.76% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.34% of the population.

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Enroll in the Right Electrician Technical School near Hillsville VA

Selecting the right electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training program that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you choose is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Hillsville VA.