Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Surry VA 23883

How to Become an Electrician in Surry Virginia

Surry VA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Surry VA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to consider. For example, many prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their home. After they have located a few that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the least expensive tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the only things that need to 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 influence your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician trade 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 educational choices that are available.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near Surry VA

Surry VA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Surry VA. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most common programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Virginia vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards students who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Virginia community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Virginia colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites

Surry VA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Surry VA can perform a wide range of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly about four to five years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be obtained in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you choose not only furnishes a solid 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 Programs Online in Surry VA

attending electrician school online in Surry VA An alternative that you might have considered is choosing an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Commuting expenses from Surry VA are also reduced and some of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Surry VA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Surry VA area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have acquired 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 relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Surry VA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire an excellent education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training course 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 complete the program. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high 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 utilize 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 industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Surry VA grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Surry VA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional 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 using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Surry VA electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Surry residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with several of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Surry VA, check 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 offers part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Surry VA?

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

Surry, Virginia

Surry (formerly Cross Roads, McIntosh's Cross Roads, McIntoshs Cross Roads, Scuffletown, Smithville, Surry Court House, and The Crossroads)[3] is an incorporated town in Surry County, Virginia, United States. The population was 244 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Surry County.[4] Its name is derived from the historic county of Surrey in England.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 262 people, 109 households, and 80 families residing in the town. The population density was 323.7 people per square mile (124.9/km²). There were 119 housing units at an average density of 147.0 per square mile (56.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.05% White, 23.28% African American, 1.15% Native American, 1.53% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.76% of the population.

There were 109 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.83.

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Find the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Surry VA

Selecting the ideal electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrician training that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Surry VA.