Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Elizabethtown KY 42701

How to Become an Electrician in Elizabethtown Kentucky

Elizabethtown KY electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Elizabethtown KY. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are so many factors to consider. For example, some potential students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their home. After they have found some that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that must be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional options that are offered.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Elizabethtown KY

Elizabethtown KY electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple options to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Elizabethtown KY. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short summaries of the three most typical programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically offered by Kentucky vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards those who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take two years to finish and are offered by Kentucky community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Kentucky colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements

Elizabethtown KY electricians working on power lines Electricians in Elizabethtown KY can carry out a vast array of functions, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around four to five years of practical experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method 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 numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you pick not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes in Elizabethtown KY

attending electrician school online in Elizabethtown KY A possibility that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for 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, distance learning can be a more practical alternative for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Commuting costs from Elizabethtown KY are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online also. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Elizabethtown KY electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Elizabethtown KY region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical 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 assess before selecting an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. Many electrician trade programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Elizabethtown KY school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a superior education, it can help 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 for it to qualify 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 percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It could also mean 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 can 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 an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Elizabethtown KY students secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Elizabethtown KY area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Elizabethtown KY electrical contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Elizabethtown home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with several of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Elizabethtown KY, confirm that the schools you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Elizabethtown KY?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Elizabethtown KY area.

Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Elizabethtown is a home rule-class city[2] and the county seat of Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,531 at the 2010 census,[3] and was estimated at 29,906 by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2016, making it the 11th-largest city in the state.[4] It is included in (and the principal city of) the Elizabethtown–Fort Knox, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Louisville/Jefferson County–Elizabethtown–Madison, Kentucky-Indiana Combined Statistical Area.

Elizabethtown is in east-central Hardin County, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Fort Knox. Interstate 65 passes through the southeast side of the city, leading north-northeast 45 miles (72 km) to Louisville and southwest 71 miles (114 km) to Bowling Green. The Western Kentucky Parkway starts at I-65 in Elizabethtown and leads west 138 miles (222 km) to Eddyville. To the east, the Bluegrass Parkway leads 105 miles (169 km) to Lexington.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Elizabethtown has a total area of 25.8 square miles (67 km2), of which 25.4 square miles (66 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1 km2) (1.77%) is water.[3]

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Pick the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Elizabethtown KY

Picking the right electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses 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. Every program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Elizabethtown KY.