Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Harrodsburg KY 40330

How to Become an Electrician in Harrodsburg Kentucky

Harrodsburg KY electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Harrodsburg KY. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are a number of variables to examine. For instance, some students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have located some that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications that should be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate decision when picking an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are accessible.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Harrodsburg KY

Harrodsburg KY electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple options to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Harrodsburg KY. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief explanations of the three most prevalent programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Kentucky trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to complete and are offered by Kentucky community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Kentucky colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Requirements

Harrodsburg KY electricians working on power lines Electricians in Harrodsburg KY can carry out a wide range of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about four to five years of prior experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be obtained in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes three 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 important that the electrician tech school that you pick not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes in Harrodsburg KY

attending electrician school online in Harrodsburg KY An option that you may have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning can be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting costs from Harrodsburg KY are also minimized and some of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Harrodsburg KY electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Harrodsburg KY region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about 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 chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other factors that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Many electrician technical programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Harrodsburg KY program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you get a quality education, it can assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate may indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Harrodsburg KY grads secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Harrodsburg KY area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure 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, consult with the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Harrodsburg KY electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Harrodsburg residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Harrodsburg KY, check that the schools you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Harrodsburg KY?

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

Harrodsburg, Kentucky

Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the House of Burgesses after Boonesborough and was not incorporated by the Kentucky legislature until 1836,[4] it is usually considered the oldest city in Kentucky and has been honored as the oldest permanent American settlement west of the Appalachians.

Harrodstown (sometimes Harrod's Town) was laid out and founded by James Harrod on June 16, 1774.[5] Later that same year, amid Dunmore's War, the settlement was abandoned as a result of Shawnee attacks. Resettled the following year, it was one of three settlements in present day Kentucky at the time the 13 colonies declared independence in 1776, along with Logan's Fort and Boonesborough. Also known as Oldtown, Harrodstown was the first seat of Virginia's Kentucky (1776), Lincoln (1780), and Mercer (1785) counties upon their formations.[6] It remains the seat of Mercer County in Kentucky.

The settlement was formally established by the Virginia General Assembly in 1785 as Harrodsburg.[5] Four years later, it was named the location for the newly created United States District Court for the District of Kentucky by the Judiciary Act of 1789.[7] The Kentucky General Assembly incorporated Harrodsburg in 1836.[4]

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Find the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Harrodsburg KY

Choosing the best electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical training that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers unique options for certification also. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Harrodsburg KY.