How to Become an Electrician in Homer Louisiana
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Homer LA. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially because there are a number of points to consider. For example, some students will start by looking for schools that are close to their home. When they have identified several that are within commuting range, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the only things that should be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.
Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Homer LA
There are three general approaches to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Homer LA. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. In many cases these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are short explanations of the 3 most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Louisiana trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to finish and are offered by Louisiana community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some Louisiana institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Homer LA can carry out a vast array of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically assess electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to 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 available vary by state and may be obtained in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails three 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online in Homer LA
An alternative that you might have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning can be a more practical choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Driving costs from Homer LA are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Homer LA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Homer LA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you obtain an excellent education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. 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 of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to utilize 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 field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Homer LA students acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Homer LA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Homer LA electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Homer home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with several of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Homer LA, verify that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, check out 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 Homer LA?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Homer LA area.
Homer
Homer (/ˈhoʊmər/; Greek: Ὅμηρος [hómɛːros], Hómēros) is the name ascribed by the ancient Greeks to the legendary author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, two epic poems which are the central works of ancient Greek literature. The Iliad is set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek kingdoms. It focuses on a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles lasting a few weeks during the last year of the war. The Odyssey focuses on the journey home of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, after the fall of Troy.
Many accounts of Homer's life circulated in classical antiquity, the most widespread being that he was a blind bard from Ionia, a region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey. Modern scholars consider them legends.[2][3][4]
The Homeric Question—concerning by whom, when, where and under what circumstances the Iliad and Odyssey were composed—continues to be debated. Broadly speaking, modern scholarly opinion falls into two groups. One holds that most of the Iliad and (according to some) the Odyssey are the works of a single poet of genius. The other considers the Homeric poems to be the result of a process of working and re-working by many contributors, and that "Homer" is best seen as a label for an entire tradition.[4]
Choose the Right Electrician Technical School near Homer LA
Choosing the right electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every program provides different options for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Homer LA.
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