How to Become an Electrician in Keithville Louisiana
The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Keithville LA. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to evaluate. For example, some students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the sole things that must be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your final decision when selecting an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are offered.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Keithville LA
There are three general approaches to obtain electrician training in a trade or technical school near Keithville LA. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are brief explanations of the three most typical programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Louisiana vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve two years to complete and are offered by Louisiana junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Louisiana institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed before licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Keithville LA can perform a vast array of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically about four to five years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge 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 vary by state and may be obtained in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you select not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools in Keithville LA
A possibility that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning can be a more practical option for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Keithville LA are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available on line also. Each of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Now that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Keithville LA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, 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 additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Keithville LA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you obtain an excellent education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many 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 looking at 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 might suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It could also indicate that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can mean 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 an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Keithville LA grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational 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 electrical businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Keithville LA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools 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 tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Keithville LA electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Keithville residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with some of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Keithville LA, check that the schools you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Keithville LA?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Keithville LA area.
Keithville, Louisiana
Keithville is an unincorporated community in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies to the south of Shreveport along U.S. Route 171. Although unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 71047.[1]
Keithville came into existence when two railroads, the Southern Pacific and the Houston-Shreveport, met on properties of the Keith brothers in the early 1880s.[2] One of the Keith brothers was State Representative Perry Polk Keith, who served four terms from 1912 to 1928.[3]
Perry Keith was born near Macon, Georgia but settled in virgin territory in Caddo Parish when he was three months old with his parents, Henry David Keith and the former Mary Jones. On February 23, 1871, he married the former Narcissa Miller (died 1910) of Caddo Parish.[2] Their children were William Henry Keith (1875-1951), Daniel Wesley Keith (1875-1929), Perry P. Keith, Jr. (1877-1945), David Keith (Perry's twin who died an infant), Mary Slaughter Keith (1880-1931, never married), James Hardy Keith (born and died in 1883), Anna Beulah Keith Darby Cranfield (1885-1966, remarried after death of first husband) of Plaquemine, Louisiana, and Ray Cleveland Keith, who died soon after birth in 1889.[4]
Find the Right Electrician Technical School near Keithville LA
Selecting the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Keithville LA.
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