How to Become an Electrician in Berea Kentucky
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Berea KY. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are a number of points to examine. For instance, some students will start by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have located a few that are within driving range, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the sole factors that must be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are accessible.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Berea KY
There are multiple options to obtain electrician training in a trade or technical school near Berea KY. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are short explanations of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Kentucky trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to complete and are provided by Kentucky community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Kentucky institutions, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Berea KY can perform a wide range of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to 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 available differ by state and can be acquired in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves 3 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Schools in Berea KY
A possibility that you might have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs have become more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Driving expenses from Berea KY are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Berea KY area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Berea KY program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you receive an excellent education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it 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 signify that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It could also mean that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which may produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Berea KY students obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous 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 within their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Berea KY area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Berea KY electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Berea residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Berea KY, check that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Berea KY?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Berea KY area.
Berea, Kentucky
Berea is a home rule-class city[2] in Madison County, Kentucky, in the United States. The town is best known for its art festivals, historic restaurants and buildings, and as the home to Berea College, a private, liberal arts college. The population was 13,561 at the 2010 census. It is one of the fastest-growing towns in Kentucky, having increased by 27.4% since 2000.
In 1850 this area, called the Glade, was a community of scattered farms with a racetrack and citizens sympathetic to emancipation. In 1853, rich and politically ambitious Cassius Marcellus Clay gave Reverend John Gregg Fee a free tract of land in the Glade. With local supporters and other abolitionist missionaries from the American Missionary Association, Fee established two churches (First Christian Church and Union Church), a tiny village, and Berea College. Fee named Berea after a biblical town Berea (today Veria) in Macedonia, northern Greece, where the people "received the Word with all readiness of mind."
Founded in 1855, Berea College was the only interracial and coeducational college in the South for nearly forty years. Its motto is "God has made of one blood all peoples of the Earth,"[4] a paraphrase of Acts 17:26.[5] Reverend Fee modeled it on Oberlin College in Ohio and hoped it would become an academic beacon to Northern students. Pro-slavery supporters expelled Fee and his followers from Berea in 1859, in the aftermath of John Brown's Raid. Fee had delivered an address at the Pilgrim Church in Brooklyn, New York, in the pulpit of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. Fee's remarks were reported in the New York Times, but were misrepresented in the Louisville Courier. Subsequently, everyone at the college was given ten days to leave the state. Most lived in Cincinnati or nearby northern towns for several years, returning for good after the war.
Find the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Berea KY
Choosing the best electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. 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 electrician tech school that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each program provides unique options for certification also. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you choose is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Berea KY.
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