Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Houma LA 70360

How to Become an Electrician in Houma Louisiana

Houma LA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Houma LA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are a number of points to evaluate. For instance, some students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have located a few that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the lowest tuition. Even though cost and location are significant, they are not the only factors that should be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when selecting an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Houma LA

Houma LA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general ways to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Houma LA. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Louisiana trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve two years to finish and are offered by Louisiana junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Louisiana institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out 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 Certification and Licensing Prerequisites

Houma LA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Houma LA can perform a multitude 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 required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically about four to five years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be earned in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases entails 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 trade school that you choose not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Schools in Houma LA

attending electrician school online in Houma LA A possibility that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, distance learning can be a more practical option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Driving expenses from Houma LA are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed on line also. All of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Houma LA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Houma LA region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Many electrician technical programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Houma LA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It might also signify that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Houma LA students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Houma LA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Houma LA electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Houma home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Houma LA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Houma LA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Houma LA area.

Houma, Louisiana

Houma (/ˈhoʊmə/ HOH-mə)[3] is the largest city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana,[4] United States and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government. The population was 33,727 at the 2010 census, an increase of 1,334 over the 2000 tabulation of 32,393.[5]

Many unincorporated areas are adjacent to the city of Houma. The largest, Bayou Cane, is an urbanized area commonly referred to by locals as being part of Houma, but it is not included in the city's census counts, and is a separate census-designated place. If the populations of the urbanized census-designated places were included with that of the city of Houma, the total would exceed 60,000 residents. The city was named after the historic Native American tribe of Houma people, believed to be related to the Choctaw. The United Houma Nation Tribe is recognized by the state of Louisiana, but it has not achieved federal recognition.[6]

Houma was colonized by European Americans in 1834 at a former settlement of the Houma people, who historically occupied this area. The city was named after them. The city was incorporated in 1848.[citation needed] The United Houma Nation and two other Houma tribes have been recognized by the state. Houma is rated as a medium-size city.

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Select the Right Electrician Tech School near Houma LA

Picking the ideal electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical 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 training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Every training program offers unique options for certification also. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Houma LA.