How to Become an Electrician in West Monroe Louisiana
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near West Monroe LA. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are a number of points to examine. For example, many potential students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their home. Once they have found a few that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the sole things that should be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will talk about 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 choices that are offered.
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near West Monroe LA
There are several options to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near West Monroe LA. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are short summaries of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Louisiana technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to finish and are offered by Louisiana junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Louisiana colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out before licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in West Monroe LA can undertake a vast array of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing 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 become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about four to five years of prior experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be obtained in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you pick not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online in West Monroe LA
An option that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs have become more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning might be a more accommodating option for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Travelling expenses from West Monroe LA are also reduced and some of the study materials may be accessed online also. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Once you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the West Monroe LA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are other factors that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the West Monroe LA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire an excellent education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved 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 or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate could signify that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It could also signify that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory 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 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 West Monroe LA students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with West Monroe LA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area 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 already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local West Monroe LA electrical company if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your West Monroe home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with several of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near West Monroe LA, confirm that the programs you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near West Monroe LA?
Following is a little bit of background information about the West Monroe LA area.
West Monroe, Louisiana
West Monroe is a city in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is situated on the Ouachita River, across from the neighboring city of Monroe. The two cities are often referred to as the Twin Cities of northeast Louisiana. Its population was 13,065 at the 2010 census and it is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area. The mayor is Staci Albritton Mitchell.
Originally laid out in 1837 as Byron by John Campbell at the foot of the ferry landing to Monroe, the town floundered and Campbell went bankrupt. The area was bought by Christopher Dabbs, a doctor from Virginia who submitted the plans for Cotton Port in 1854; it was officially recognized in 1859. It too languished until the arrival of the Vicksburg, Shreveport, & Texas Railroad and the construction of the bridge over the Ouachita. Cotton Port boomed as a river port and rail depot.[3]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.0 square miles (20.6 km²), of which 7.7 square miles (20.0 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.6 km²) (3.14%) is water.
Select the Right Electrician Technical School near West Monroe LA
Choosing the right electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in West Monroe LA.
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