Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Hartford WI 53027

How to Become an Electrician in Hartford Wisconsin

Hartford WI electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Hartford WI. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many points to examine. For instance, some potential students will start by searching for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have identified some that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole factors that need to be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your final judgment when selecting an electrician trade school. We will discuss 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 choices that are offered.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Hartford WI

Hartford WI electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general ways to obtain electrician training in a trade or technical school near Hartford WI. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Following are brief explanations of the three most prevalent programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by Wisconsin technical and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are provided by Wisconsin junior or community colleges, usually 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 earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Wisconsin institutions, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites

Hartford WI electricians working on power lines Electricians in Hartford WI can undertake a vast array of services, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally about four to five years of experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining 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 may be earned in numerous specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 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 crucial that the electrician trade school that you choose not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Programs Online in Hartford WI

attending electrician school online in Hartford WI An option that you may have contemplated is choosing an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more convenient alternative for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting expenses from Hartford WI are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be available on line as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Hartford WI electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Hartford WI area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical technical 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 as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Hartford WI program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a superior education, it may help 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 course be accredited for it to be approved 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 lower completion rate might indicate that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It might also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to employ 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 Hartford WI students acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Hartford WI area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Hartford WI electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Hartford home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Hartford WI, verify that the programs you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Hartford WI?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Hartford WI area.

Hartford, Wisconsin

Hartford is a city in Washington and Dodge counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 14,223. All of this population resided in the Washington County portion of the city.

John Thiel and Nicolas Simon first surveyed the area that would become Hartford in 1843. James and Charles Rossman accompanied Nicolas Simon back to Hartford in 1844, and soon bought 40 acres around the rapids of the Rubicon River.[6] After constructing a dam across rapids in the river, the Rossmans built a sawmill that harnessed the power of the water to make lumber for the growth of the area. Rails were laid in 1855 that linked Chicago, Milwaukee, La Crosse and Minneapolis until the early 1900s.[7] The town was named after Hartford, Connecticut.

The settlers of Hartford brought with them many of their Yankee New England values such as a passion for education by establishing many schools, as well as staunchly supporting abolitionism. They were mostly members of the Congregationalist Church though some were Episcopalian. Due to the second Great Awakening some of them had converted to Methodism and some had become Baptists before moving to Hartford. Hartford, like much of Wisconsin, was aligned with early New England culture for most of its early history.[8] The first church in Hartford was the First Congregational Church, constructed by Yankee New England migrants. The Church was built in 1847.[9][10] German and Irish immigrants began arriving after 1842, though initially in small numbers. In the late 1870s the number of German immigrants increased. [11][12]

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Pick the Right Electrician Vocational School near Hartford WI

Picking the right electrical training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Hartford WI.