Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Mequon WI 53097

How to Become an Electrician in Mequon Wisconsin

Mequon WI electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Mequon WI. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of points to consider. For example, many potential students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. When they have found a few that are within commuting distance, they will select the one with the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the only qualifications that need to be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near Mequon WI

Mequon WI electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several ways to get electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Mequon WI. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the three most typical programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Wisconsin trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards those who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require two years to complete and are provided by Wisconsin community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Wisconsin institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Requirements

Mequon WI electricians working on power lines Electricians in Mequon WI can perform a wide range of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure 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 commonly around 4 to 5 years of experience is called for before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be earned in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails three levels of competency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying agencies 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 enroll in not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Programs Online in Mequon WI

attending electrician school online in Mequon WI A possibility that you may have looked at is choosing an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs have become more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more accommodating alternative for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Commuting costs from Mequon WI are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Mequon WI electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Mequon WI area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we discussed 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 crucial when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Mequon WI program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get a superior education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. 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 complete the course. A lower completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It may also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Mequon WI grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught along 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 electrical contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Mequon WI area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with 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. Otherwise, ask a local Mequon WI electrical company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Mequon home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can 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 difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to several of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Mequon WI, confirm that the programs you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Mequon WI?

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

Mequon, Wisconsin

The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans; by the early 19th century, the Potawatomi occupied land west of the Milwaukee River, while the Menominee lived between the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan.[6] European trappers, explorers and traders used the Milwaukee River through the middle of what is now Mequon as a means of transportation. The name "Mequon" is thought to have come from the Native-American word "Emikwaan" or "Miguan," meaning ladle, referring to the shape of the river in the area.[7] The spelling was probably influenced by the French in the area at the time.

Between 1834 and 1836, a surveyor named Brink, along with his assistant Mr. Follett, surveyed the land to create the Town of Mequon.[6] Around this time, settlers came from New York and England, soon followed by German and Irish immigrants. In 1839, a group of immigrants from Saxony settled near the Milwaukee River. In the same year, twenty families from Pomerania founded Freistadt (German: Free city) in the western part of the Town of Mequon. The first Lutheran church in Wisconsin was built by these families in 1840.

John Weston served as the first postmaster of the Town of Mequon, having settled in present-day Thiensville in 1837. He later sold his holdings to John Henry Thien. Thien, a wealthy immigrant from Saxony, had traveled north from Milwaukee and settled along the Milwaukee River, where his family built a dam and grist mill. Thien hosted the first town meeting for the Town of Mequon in 1846.[6] The area around his estate, one square mile in the middle of the Town of Mequon, was later incorporated as the village of Thiensville in 1910. The Town of Mequon was incorporated as a city in 1957.[8]

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Select the Ideal Electrician Tech School near Mequon WI

Picking the ideal electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Mequon WI.