How to Become an Electrician in Morgantown Kentucky
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Morgantown KY. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many factors to evaluate. For instance, many students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have identified several that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the sole things that should be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final judgment when selecting an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are offered.
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Morgantown KY
There are multiple options to get electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Morgantown KY. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Often these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are short explanations of the three most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Kentucky vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to finish and are offered by Kentucky junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Kentucky colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed before licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Morgantown KY can undertake a wide range of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally about four to five years of practical experience is called for before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be earned in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes 3 levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you pick not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs in Morgantown KY
An alternative that you might have looked at is selecting an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, internet learning might be a more convenient alternative for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Travelling expenses from Morgantown KY are also minimized and some of the study materials may be accessed online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Morgantown KY region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other variables that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Morgantown KY school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate could indicate that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It may also mean that the teachers were not competent 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 more extensive list of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Morgantown KY grads secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Morgantown KY area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure 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, talk to the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Morgantown KY electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Morgantown residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Morgantown KY, confirm that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Morgantown KY?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Morgantown KY area.
Morgantown, Kentucky
The settlement may have originally been called Funkhouser Hill after Christopher Funkhouser, the local landowner who donated 60 acres (24 ha) of land to establish a seat for the newly formed Butler County in 1811.[6] The etymology of the city's present name (originally written Morgan Town) is uncertain. It may have been chosen to honor a hunter named Morgan or to honor Daniel Morgan Smith, the first white child born in the town.[7] It was incorporated as Morgantown by the state assembly in 1813,[1] although the post office also went by the name Butler Court House during the 19th century.[6]
Granville Allen, a member of the 17th Kentucky Infantry, was one of the first Union soldiers to die in the Civil War, in a skirmish on October 29, 1861. A monument was erected by the Granville Allen Post #93 GAR. This first skirmish between the North and South took place on the Daniel Boone Johnson property. The Johnson Cemetery is still there and is directly above the monument, which is a limestone marker cut into the side of the old Logansport road.
Morgantown has one of only two monuments in the country dedicated to soldiers of both sides who died in the Civil War. The Confederate-Union Veterans' Monument in Morgantown is located on the grounds of the county courthouse.
Choose the Right Electrical Tech School near Morgantown KY
Selecting the right 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 between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Morgantown KY.
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