Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Silver Lake KS 66539

How to Become an Electrician in Silver Lake Kansas

Silver Lake KS electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Silver Lake KS. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many factors to consider. For instance, some potential students will start by searching for schools that are close to their home. Once they have located several that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole things that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are available.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Silver Lake KS

Silver Lake KS electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Silver Lake KS. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the 3 most prevalent programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by Kansas vocational and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require 2 years to finish and are provided by Kansas junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Kansas institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be performed before licensing. Because of that, most students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements

Silver Lake KS electricians working on power lines Electricians in Silver Lake KS can perform a vast array of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in several specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves three levels of proficiency:

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 important that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Programs in Silver Lake KS

attending electrician school online in Silver Lake KS A possibility that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though 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. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more convenient option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Silver Lake KS are also lessened and some of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Silver Lake KS electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Silver Lake KS region, it’s important 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 online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And although 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 added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to 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 focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Silver Lake KS school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a superior education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved 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 lower completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also signify that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can 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 industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Silver Lake KS students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical 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 electrical companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Silver Lake KS area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Silver Lake KS electrical contractor if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Silver Lake residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with several of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Silver Lake KS, verify that the programs you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Silver Lake KS?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Silver Lake KS area.

Silver Lake, Kansas

In 1911, a new six room brick school building replaced the original two room structure and the first high school class was organized. In 1928, that building became the elementary school. In 1952, the high school burned and a new high school was completed in 1953. In 1961, a new elementary school was completed.[1]

Silver Lake is located at 39°6′9″N 95°51′33″W / 39.10250°N 95.85917°W / 39.10250; -95.85917 (39.102431, -95.859047).[9] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.60 square miles (1.55 km2), of which, 0.58 square miles (1.50 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.[2]

Silver Lake is the nearest city to Topeka to the west, along U.S. Route 24. Recently Silver Lake has had a higher proportion of its citizens commuting into Topeka. The next city west along US 24 is Rossville.

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Enroll in the Right Electrician Tech School near Silver Lake KS

Selecting the best electrical training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical training program that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every program offers unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Silver Lake KS.