Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Edmonds WA 98020

How to Become an Electrician in Edmonds Washington

Edmonds WA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Edmonds WA. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many factors to examine. For instance, many students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their home. After they have located some that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the only things that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final decision when selecting an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are available.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Edmonds WA

Edmonds WA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general options to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Edmonds WA. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Often these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Bellow are brief descriptions of the three most common programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Washington trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards those who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Washington junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some Washington colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Requirements

Edmonds WA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Edmonds WA can carry out a multitude of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually around four to five years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be obtained in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves three 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you pick not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools in Edmonds WA

attending electrician school online in Edmonds WA An option that you may have contemplated is choosing an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning can be a more practical option for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Commuting expenses from Edmonds WA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be available on line also. Each of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Edmonds WA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Edmonds WA area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other variables that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Edmonds WA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get an excellent education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order 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 complete the program. A low completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It may also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Edmonds WA grads secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade 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 inside their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Edmonds WA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to form 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 working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Edmonds WA electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Edmonds residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Edmonds WA, check that the programs you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Edmonds WA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Edmonds WA area.

Edmonds, Washington

Edmonds is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located in the southwest corner of the county, facing Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains to the west. The city is part of the Seattle metropolitan area and is located 15 miles (24 km) north of Seattle and 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Everett. With a population of 39,709 residents in the 2010 U.S. census, Edmonds is the fourth most populous city in the county. The estimated population in 2015 was 40,490.

Edmonds was established in 1876 by logger George Brackett, who bought the land claim of an earlier settler. It was incorporated as a city in 1890, shortly before the arrival of the Great Northern Railway. Early residents of the city were employed by the shingle mills and logging companies that operated in the area until the 1950s. The hills surrounding Edmonds were developed into suburban bedroom communities in the mid-to-late 20th century and subsequently annexed into the city. Edmonds is a regional hub for the arts, with museums, specialized facilities, and major annual festivals within the city's downtown area.

The city is connected to nearby areas by two state highways and the state ferry system, which operates a ferry route to Kingston on the Kitsap Peninsula. Public transit service in Edmonds is centered around the downtown train station, served by Amtrak and Sounder commuter trains, and includes several Community Transit bus routes that travel through outlying neighborhoods.

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Find the Right Electrical Tech School near Edmonds WA

Picking the ideal electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Edmonds WA.