Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Dacula GA 30019

How to Become an Electrician in Dacula Georgia

Dacula GA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Dacula GA. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are so many variables to examine. For instance, many prospective students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. When they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will decide on the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the only qualifications that should be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will address 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 choices that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near Dacula GA

Dacula GA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to receive electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Dacula GA. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Georgia technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to complete and are provided by Georgia junior or community colleges, commonly 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 previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Georgia colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be completed before licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Dacula GA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Dacula GA can undertake a vast array of duties, 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 most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about 4 to 5 years of experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails 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 imperative that the electrician vocational school that you select not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes in Dacula GA

attending electrician school online in Dacula GA A possibility that you may have contemplated is choosing an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning can be a more practical choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Driving costs from Dacula GA are also lessened and some of the study materials may be accessed on line also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Dacula GA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Dacula GA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Dacula GA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive a quality education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order 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 course. A lower completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It might also mean that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Dacula GA students secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Dacula GA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish 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, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Dacula GA electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Dacula residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable 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 large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to several of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some 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 assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Dacula GA, check that the schools 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. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Dacula GA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Dacula GA area.

Dacula, Georgia

Dacula (duh-KYOO-luh) is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. The population as of the 2010 census was 4,442,[5] and the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 5,330 as of 2015.[6]

The vicinity of Dacula was one of the first areas in present-day metropolitan Atlanta to be settled by whites (around the time of the War of 1812), but the area remained mostly undeveloped until the late 20th century. The Dacula area is home to some of the oldest buildings in greater Atlanta, such as the Elisha Winn House, which originally acted as the courthouse for Gwinnett County. Dacula itself began in the late 1800s near the community of Chinquapin Grove, where Dacula Elementary now stands. The town was originally named "Hoke",[7] after a Seaboard Air Line Railroad executive, but that name was changed due to the Post Office Department's protest.[citation needed]. Dacula's name was formed from letters in Decatur and Atlanta,[8] two cities to the west that were already prospering at the time of Dacula's founding. The city was once home to a train station on a CSX line through northeast Georgia, although the station closed in the mid-1950s.

Dacula is located in eastern Gwinnett County, with U.S. Route 29 Business/Georgia State Route 8 (Winder Highway) the main road through the center of town. Business 29/SR 8 leads west 6 miles (10 km) to Lawrenceville, the county seat, and east 11 miles (18 km) to Winder. U.S. Route 29 (University Parkway) is a four-lane highway that bypasses Dacula to the south, with access from Harbins Road. University Parkway leads east 34 miles (55 km) to Athens and west 12 miles (19 km) to Interstate 85, which leads an additional 25 miles (40 km) southwest to downtown Atlanta.

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Find the Ideal Electrical Trade School near Dacula GA

Choosing the best electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Dacula GA.