Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Madison MS 39110

How to Become an Electrician in Madison Mississippi

Madison MS electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Madison MS. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of points to examine. For example, many potential students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have found a few that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the only factors that should be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when selecting an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more 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 available.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Madison MS

Madison MS electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Madison MS. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are short summaries of the 3 most typical programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Mississippi technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs require two years to finish and are offered by Mississippi junior or community colleges, typically 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 stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Mississippi colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Madison MS electricians working on power lines Electricians in Madison MS can perform a vast array of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about four to five years of experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be obtained in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails three levels of proficiency:

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 choose not only furnishes 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 Madison MS

attending electrician school online in Madison MS An alternative that you might have contemplated is selecting an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, distance learning can be a more convenient choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Travelling expenses from Madison MS are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed online also. All of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Madison MS electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Madison MS area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical vocational 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 relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Madison MS school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive a superior education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It may also signify that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader 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 affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Madison MS students secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Madison MS area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm 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 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 looking for. If not, ask a local Madison MS electrical company if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Madison home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Madison MS, verify that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Madison MS?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Madison MS area.

Madison, Mississippi

Madison is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 24,841 at the 2010 census. The population is currently over 25,000. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The city of Madison, named for James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, developed along a bustling railroad track in antebellum Mississippi. It began in 1856 when the Illinois Central Railroad opened Madison Station, the forerunner of the city of Madison.

The nearby town of Madisonville was a settlement along the stagecoach route on the Natchez Trace. It was the first county seat of Madison County in 1828,[2] and had a race track, two banks, a wagon factory, and at least one hotel. Its residents gradually moved to the new railroad community, and old Madisonville became defunct.

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Choose the Ideal Electrical Technical School near Madison MS

Selecting the best electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical training that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every training program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Madison MS.