How to Become an Electrician in Freelandville Indiana
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Freelandville IN. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are a number of variables to examine. For example, some prospective students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have located several that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the sole things that should be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate decision when picking an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are available.
Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options near Freelandville IN
There are three general ways to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Freelandville IN. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the three most typical programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Indiana vocational and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards those who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by Indiana community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Indiana colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Freelandville IN can perform a vast array of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about four to five years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually assess electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be obtained in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs in Freelandville IN
An option that you might have contemplated is choosing an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, internet learning might be a more practical choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Driving expenses from Freelandville IN are also reduced and some of the study materials may be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
When you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Freelandville IN area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other variables that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Freelandville IN school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs 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 low completion rate could indicate that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It may also signify that the instructors were not qualified 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 broader directory of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Freelandville IN graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught along 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 businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Freelandville IN area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Freelandville IN electrical company if they can give you some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Freelandville home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive 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 observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with some of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Freelandville IN, check that the programs you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask 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 Freelandville IN?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Freelandville IN area.
Freelandville, Indiana
The first settler of the area was John Widner who came to Knox County in 1798 and in 1804 settled on land two and a half miles northwest of Freelandville. William Polk, uncle of James Polk, settled on land about 2 miles from Widner in 1808. In 1812, Fort Widner was built as protection against the Native Americans during the second war with Great Britain.
Although the area was initially settled by the English, cheap available government land and the aspect of work on the Wabash & Erie Canal brought other immigrants to the area. Freelandville was settled mostly by immigrants from Germany, many from the province of Prussia, in the mid-1800s. The German settlers originally referred to the place as Bethlehem or Kreuzweg, meaning "crossroads". The town was not officially laid out until July 31, 1866, when done so by John Ritterskamp. Residents chose to name the town Freelandsville to honor John F. Freeland,[3] who was a prominent citizen and a local physician.
The first school taught in the area was in 1808, at the home of John Widner. The first school building in Freelandville was built around 1850, before the town was laid out. Due to the rapidly expanding population, a second two-story building was built in 1874.
Pick the Ideal Electrical Trade School near Freelandville IN
Selecting the right electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Freelandville IN.
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