How to Become an Electrician in Hazard Kentucky
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Hazard KY. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are so many points to evaluate. For example, some students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have located a few that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in greater 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 offered.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Hazard KY
There are multiple ways to get electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Hazard KY. You may select 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 alternatives. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Bellow are brief summaries of the three most typical programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Kentucky technical and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who would like to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Kentucky junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Kentucky institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed before licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Hazard KY can perform a multitude of services, such as 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 required to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually 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, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be obtained in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you pick not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools in Hazard KY
An alternative that you might have contemplated is selecting an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning can be a more accommodating option for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Driving expenses from Hazard KY are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Hazard KY region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research before choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Hazard KY school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a superior education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It could also mean that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Hazard KY students secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Hazard KY area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Hazard KY electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Hazard home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Hazard KY, verify that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Hazard KY?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Hazard KY area.
Hazard, Kentucky
Local landowner Elijah Combs Sr. laid out the town in 1824 as the planned seat of the newly established Perry County. Both the town and the county were named for Cdre. Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.[7] The post office was initially known as Perry Court House but the name was officially changed to Hazard in 1854.[8] The city was formally incorporated by the state assembly in 1884.[9]
Long isolated by the surrounding mountains, Hazard was opened to the outside world by the arrival of the railroad in 1912. The only access to the valley had previously been 45 miles down the North Fork of the Kentucky River or a two-week trip over the surrounding mountains. The railroad brought boom times to the town, but the Great Depression saw prosperity end as quickly as it had begun.
In 1981, several cast members of the television series The Dukes of Hazzard – viz., Catherine Bach, James Best, Sorrell Booke and Rick Hurst – visited Hazard during its Black Gold Festival.[10] Soon afterwards, the series' stars Tom Wopat and John Schneider made appearances in Hazard.
Find the Ideal Electrical Tech School near Hazard KY
Choosing the best electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training program that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program provides unique options for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Hazard KY.
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