Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Stanardsville VA 22973

How to Become an Electrician in Stanardsville Virginia

Stanardsville VA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Stanardsville VA. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are so many factors to consider. For instance, some potential students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have located several that are within driving range, they will select the one with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications that should be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your final judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Stanardsville VA

Stanardsville VA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several options to get electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Stanardsville VA. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are brief summaries of the three most common programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Virginia vocational and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards those who wish to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs require two years to finish and are offered by Virginia junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Virginia colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out before licensing. Because of that, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites

Stanardsville VA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Stanardsville VA can carry out a wide range of tasks, such as 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 mandated to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around four to five years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be earned in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails 3 levels of competency:

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 important that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Training Classes in Stanardsville VA

attending electrician school online in Stanardsville VA An alternative that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school 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 entirely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more convenient alternative for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Driving expenses from Stanardsville VA are also lessened and some of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Stanardsville VA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Stanardsville VA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional variables that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Stanardsville VA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you receive a quality education, it can assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved 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 of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also signify that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list 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 confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Stanardsville VA graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous 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 electrical companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Stanardsville VA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Stanardsville VA electrical contractor if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Stanardsville residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized instruction 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 experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with a few of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few 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 schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Stanardsville VA, verify that the schools you are comparing provide those options. 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 Stanardsville VA?

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

Stanardsville, Virginia

Stanardsville is a town in Greene County, Virginia, United States. The population was 367 at the 2010 census,[3] down from 476 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Greene County.[4] The name is from Robert Stanard, a benefactor who donated land for public use. It is part of the Charlottesville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Stanardsville is named for Stanard family, landholders who surveyed the first lots for the town in 1794.[5] In 1838, Greene County was created from land previously contained within Orange County and Stanardsville was selected as the county seat.[6]

Stanardsville is located in central Greene County at 38°17′49″N 78°26′22″W / 38.29694°N 78.43944°W / 38.29694; -78.43944 (38.296852, -78.439367),[8] at the eastern foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. U.S. Route 33 passes just south of the town, leading southeast 6 miles (10 km) to U.S. Route 29 at Ruckersville and northwest 8 miles (13 km) to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. State Highway 230 terminates at Business US 33 in the center of Stanardsville and leads northeast 11 miles (18 km) to US 29 near Madison.

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Pick the Right Electrician Vocational School near Stanardsville VA

Picking the ideal electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Stanardsville VA.