How to Become an Electrician in Houghton Michigan
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Houghton MI. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are a number of points to examine. For example, some students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their home. When they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are significant, they are not the sole factors that need to be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your ultimate decision when picking an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are offered.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Houghton MI
There are multiple ways to get electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Houghton MI. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Michigan vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who wish to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Michigan junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Michigan colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Houghton MI can perform a wide range of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, 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 differ by state and can be acquired in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you select not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online in Houghton MI
An alternative that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning can be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Driving costs from Houghton MI are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Technical Schools
Now that you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Houghton MI region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other variables that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Houghton MI school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive a superior education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It could also mean that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Houghton MI grads secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician vocational programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Houghton MI area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools 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, consult with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Houghton MI electrical contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Houghton residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized 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 teachers and students. Speak with some of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Houghton MI, check that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Houghton MI?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Houghton MI area.
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton (/ˈhoʊtən/) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County.[8] It has been listed as one of the "100 Best Small Towns in America."[9]
Houghton is sometimes confused with, or thought to be close to, Houghton Lake; the latter is actually located in the state's Lower Peninsula. Due to its location in the northwestern portion of the Upper Peninsula,[10] Houghton is isolated from the state's most populous areas. It is farther to drive from Houghton to Detroit than it is from Detroit to Washington, D.C. It takes fewer hours to travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Minneapolis, Minnesota, or Chicago, Illinois from Houghton than it does to travel to Detroit.
Native Americans mined copper[12] in and around what would later be Houghton[13] thousands of years before European settlement. "French explorers had noted... [its] existence [in the area] as early as the seventeenth century, [and in] 1772 Alexander Henry had prospected for copper on the Ontonagon River near Victoria."[12] When Horace Greeley said, "Go West, young man" he was referring to the copper rush in "Michigan's western Upper Peninsula."[14]
Pick the Right Electrician Vocational School near Houghton MI
Selecting the best electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrician training that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers unique options for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Houghton MI.
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