Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Gainesville FL 32601

How to Become an Electrician in Gainesville Florida

Gainesville FL electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Gainesville FL. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are a number of factors to evaluate. For example, many students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have identified a few that are within commuting distance, they will decide on the one with the lowest tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the sole factors that need to be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate decision when picking an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are accessible.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options near Gainesville FL

Gainesville FL electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several approaches to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Gainesville FL. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are brief descriptions of the 3 most common programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Florida technical and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees take 2 years to finish and are offered by Florida junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Florida institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites

Gainesville FL electricians working on power lines Electricians in Gainesville FL can perform a multitude of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around 4 to 5 years of practical experience is required in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be earned in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Programs Online in Gainesville FL

attending electrician school online in Gainesville FL An option that you may have contemplated is choosing an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, internet learning may be a more convenient alternative for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Driving costs from Gainesville FL are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available online as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Gainesville FL electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Gainesville FL region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional variables that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have received 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, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Gainesville FL school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you receive a quality education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states require 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It could also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ 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 industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Gainesville FL graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught together 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 electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Gainesville FL area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Gainesville FL electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Gainesville residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges 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 larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers 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 fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Gainesville FL, check that the programs you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Gainesville FL?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Gainesville FL area.

Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville is the county seat and largest city in Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The population of Gainesville in the 2013 US Census estimates was 127,488,[10] a 2.4% growth from 2010.[11][12] Gainesville is the largest city in the region of North Central Florida. It is also a component of the Gainesville-Lake City Combined Statistical Area, which had a 2013 population of 337,925.

Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, the nation's fifth-largest university campus by enrollment, as well as to Santa Fe College. The Gainesville MSA was ranked as the No. 1 place to live in North America in the 2007 edition of Cities Ranked and Rated.[13] Also in 2007, Gainesville was ranked as one of the "best places to live and play" in the United States by National Geographic Adventure.[14]

Gainesville is located at 29°39'55" North, 82°20'10" West (29.665245, −82.336097),[15] which is roughly the same latitude as Houston, Texas. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 62.4 square miles (161.6 km2), of which 61.3 square miles (158.8 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) is water. The total area is 1.74% water.[11]

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Find the Ideal Electrical Trade School near Gainesville FL

Selecting the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are looking at. 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 smaller in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers unique options for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Gainesville FL.