Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Cedar Falls IA 50613

How to Become an Electrician in Cedar Falls Iowa

Cedar Falls IA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Cedar Falls IA. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are so many points to consider. For example, many students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have found a few that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the only factors that should be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final decision when choosing an electrician 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 options that are available.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Cedar Falls IA

Cedar Falls IA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Cedar Falls IA. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the 3 most typical programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Iowa technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards those who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees take two years to finish and are provided by Iowa junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Iowa institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed before licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Guidelines

Cedar Falls IA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Cedar Falls IA can perform a multitude of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around four to five years of prior experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be earned in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 3 levels of competency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you pick not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Training Classes in Cedar Falls IA

attending electrician school online in Cedar Falls IA An option that you might have contemplated is selecting an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more practical alternative for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Driving costs from Cedar Falls IA are also lessened and a portion of the study materials may be available online also. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Cedar Falls IA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Cedar Falls IA area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, 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 other variables that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Cedar Falls IA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you receive a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It could also signify that the teachers were not competent 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 broader directory of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Cedar Falls IA students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Cedar Falls IA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure 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 tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Cedar Falls IA electrical contractor if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Cedar Falls residence. Remember 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 desirable that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to some of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Cedar Falls IA, confirm that the programs you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, check 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 Cedar Falls IA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Cedar Falls IA area.

Cedar Falls, Iowa

Cedar Falls was founded in 1845 by William Sturgis. It was originally named Sturgis Falls, for the first family who settled the site. The Sturgis family lived in Sturgis Falls for years until the city was merged with Cedar City, another city on the other side of the Cedar River creating Cedar Falls. The city's founders are honored each year with a week long community-wide celebration named in their honor – the Sturgis Falls Celebration.[6]

Because of the availability of water power, Cedar Falls developed as a milling and industrial center prior to the Civil War. The establishment of the Civil War Soldiers' Orphans Home in Cedar Falls changed the direction in which the city developed when, following the war, it became the first building on the campus of the Iowa State Normal School (now the University of Northern Iowa).[7]

Cedar Falls is located at 42°31′24″N 92°26′45″W / 42.52333°N 92.44583°W / 42.52333; -92.44583 (42.523520, −92.446402).[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.61 square miles (76.69 km2), of which, 28.75 square miles (74.46 km2) is land and 0.86 square miles (2.23 km2) is water.[1]

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Enroll in the Right Electrician Vocational School near Cedar Falls IA

Picking the best electrician training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Cedar Falls IA.