Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Addison MI 49220

How to Become an Electrician in Addison Michigan

Addison MI electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Addison MI. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are so many variables to examine. For instance, some prospective students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have found some that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that need to be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are available.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options near Addison MI

Addison MI electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general approaches to receive electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Addison MI. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are short explanations of the 3 most typical programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Michigan trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards those who wish to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require 2 years to finish and are provided by Michigan junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Michigan colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites

Addison MI electricians working on power lines Electricians in Addison MI can undertake a multitude of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be acquired in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails three 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 imperative that the electrician vocational school that you pick not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes in Addison MI

attending electrician school online in Addison MI A possibility that you may have considered is choosing an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Driving expenses from Addison MI are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Addison MI electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Addison MI region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest 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 determination, there are additional variables that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research before choosing an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Addison MI program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you obtain an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, some 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 of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It could also indicate that the instructors were not competent to train 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 alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Addison MI graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Addison MI area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Addison MI electrical company if they can provide some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Addison residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with several of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few 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 schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Addison MI, check that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Addison MI?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Addison MI area.

Addison, Michigan

Addison is a village in Lenawee County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 605 at the 2010 census. The village is located on the boundary between Rollin Township on the south and Woodstock Township on the north.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.00 square mile (2.59 km2), of which 0.96 square miles (2.49 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) is water.[1]

In 1834, when John Talbot settled along a winding creek in the infancy of southeast Michigan’s history, the area was a vast forest, dotted with clear blue lakes and occupied by the Potawatomi. With the raising of a simple grist mill along Bean Creek around December 1835, Addison’s history was started, operating under the settlement name “Manetue.”[6]

The location could not be found.

Enroll in the Ideal Electrical Tech School near Addison MI

Picking the ideal electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides unique options for certification as well. Probably The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain 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 outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Addison MI.