Find Electrician Schools Near Me in New London CT 06320

How to Become an Electrician in New London Connecticut

New London CT electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near New London CT. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are so many variables to examine. For example, some students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. After they have located a few that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though cost and location are important, they are not the sole qualifications that need to be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final decision when picking an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are accessible.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near New London CT

New London CT electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several options to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near New London CT. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are short explanations of the 3 most typical programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Connecticut technical and trade schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards those who wish to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take two years to finish and are provided by Connecticut junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Connecticut institutions, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed before licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Criteria

New London CT electricians working on power lines Electricians in New London CT can carry out a vast array of duties, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly around four to five years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be earned in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 3 levels of proficiency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Training Classes in New London CT

attending electrician school online in New London CT An alternative that you may have considered is selecting an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, internet learning may be a more practical choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting costs from New London CT are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

New London CT electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the New London CT area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria 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 an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the New London CT school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get a superior education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering 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 indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It might also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help New London CT grads acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with New London CT area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local New London CT electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your New London residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to several of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near New London CT, verify that the programs you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near New London CT?

Following is a little bit of background information about the New London CT area.

New London, Connecticut

For several decades beginning in the early 19th century, New London was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports, along with Nantucket and New Bedford, Massachusetts. The wealth that whaling brought into the city furnished the capital to fund much of the city's present architecture. New London subsequently became home to other shipping and manufacturing industries, but has gradually lost its commercial and industrial heart.[4]

New London is home to the United States Coast Guard Academy, Connecticut College, Mitchell College, and The Williams School. The Coast Guard Station New London and New London Harbor is home port to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Chinook and the Coast Guard's tall ship Eagle. The city had a population of 27,620 at the 2010 census. The Norwich-New London metropolitan area (NECTA[5]) includes twenty-one towns[6] and 274,055 people.[7]

The area was called Nameaug by the Pequot Indians. John Winthrop, Jr. founded the first English settlement here in 1646, making it about the 13th town settled in Connecticut. Inhabitants informally referred to it as Nameaug or as Pequot after the tribe. In the 1650s, the colonists wanted to give the town the official name of London after London, England, but the Connecticut General Assembly wanted to name it Faire Harbour. The citizens protested, declaring that they would prefer it to be called Nameaug if it couldn't be officially named London.[8][9] The legislature relented, and the town was officially named New London on March 10, 1658.

The location could not be found.

Pick the Ideal Electrical Tech School near New London CT

Selecting the right electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrical training program that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in New London CT.