Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Edmond OK 73003

How to Become an Electrician in Edmond Oklahoma

Edmond OK electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Edmond OK. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are a number of points to examine. For instance, some prospective students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have found some that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that must be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your final decision when choosing an electrician 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 training choices that are accessible.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near Edmond OK

Edmond OK electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several ways to obtain electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Edmond OK. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three options. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are short summaries of the 3 most common programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Oklahoma trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Oklahoma junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Oklahoma institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Requirements

Edmond OK electricians working on power lines Electricians in Edmond OK can perform a multitude of duties, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around four to five years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be earned in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails three levels of proficiency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying agencies 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 delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Schools in Edmond OK

attending electrician school online in Edmond OK An option that you might have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more practical option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Commuting expenses from Edmond OK are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be available on line as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Edmond OK electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Edmond OK region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are other factors that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Edmond OK school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire an excellent education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, a number of 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 or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate might signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also mean that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also imperative 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 employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Edmond OK graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous 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 inside their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Edmond OK area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school 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, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Edmond OK electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Edmond residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be increased 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 difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to some of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Edmond OK, verify that the programs you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Edmond OK?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Edmond OK area.

Edmond, Oklahoma

Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the population was 81,405, making it the sixth largest city in the state of Oklahoma.[2]

The city limits are located on the northern border of Oklahoma City. Two major highways connect Edmond to downtown Oklahoma City: U.S. Route 77 (the Broadway Extension), which runs through the center of Edmond, and Interstate 35, which runs along the eastern side. Public transportation is provided by Citylink Edmond bus service.

In 2011, Edmond was #1 on CNBC's "10 Perfect Suburbs" list.[6] Edmond was listed as one of the "Top 100 Places to Live in 2007" by Relocate America.[7] Edmond was selected the most outstanding community in its class for five years in a row by the State Chamber of Commerce and State Industrial Development Department. It is one of the ten most affluent cities in the state of Oklahoma.

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Enroll in the Right Electrician Trade School near Edmond OK

Choosing the ideal electrical training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrical training program that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Every program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect 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, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Edmond OK.