Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Portland OR 97201

How to Become an Electrician in Portland Oregon

Portland OR electrician inspecting circuit panelThe initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Portland OR. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of points to examine. For instance, some prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have found a few that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when picking an electrician trade school. We will discuss 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 instructional choices that are offered.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Portland OR

Portland OR electrician re-wiring power outletThere are several ways to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Portland OR. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short summaries of the three most common programs available.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Oregon vocational and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
  • Associate Degree Programs take two years to finish and are provided by Oregon community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Oregon colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed before licensing. For that reason, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria

Portland OR electricians working on power linesElectricians in Portland OR can carry out a multitude of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly 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 differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be earned in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails three levels of competency:

  • 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 important that the electrician tech school that you pick not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Schools in Portland OR

attending electrician school online in Portland ORA possibility that you might have contemplated is choosing an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning can be a more practical option for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus many online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Commuting costs from Portland OR are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Portland OR electrician re-wiring circuit panelNow that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Portland OR region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation.  A large number of electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Portland OR school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. 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 schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It may also mean that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, 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 help Portland OR students obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs.  Most electrician training programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Portland OR area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Portland OR electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Portland residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes.   It’s important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to several of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling.  Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Portland OR, confirm that the schools you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Portland OR?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Portland OR area.

Portland, Oregon

Portland (/ˈpɔːrtlənd/) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Multnomah County. It is a major port in the Willamette Valley region of the Pacific Northwest, at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers. The city covers 145 square miles (380 square kilometers) and had an estimated population of 647,805 in 2017,[9] making it the 26th most populous city in the United States, and the second-most populous in the Pacific Northwest.[10] Approximately 2,424,955 people live in the Portland metropolitan statistical area (MSA), making it the 25th most populous MSA in the United States. Its Combined Statistical Area (CSA) ranks 18th with a population of 3,160,488. Roughly 60% of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metropolitan area.[a]

Named after Portland, Maine, which in turn was named after the Isle of Portland in Dorset,[11] the Oregon settlement began to be populated in the 1830s near the end of the Oregon Trail. Its water access provided convenient transportation of goods, and the timber industry was a major force in the city's early economy. At the turn of the 19th century, the city had a reputation as one of the most dangerous port cities in the world, a hub for organized crime and racketeering. After the city's economy experienced an industrial boom during World War II, its hard-edged reputation began to dissipate. Beginning in the 1960s,[12] Portland became noted for its growing progressive political values, earning it a reputation as a bastion of counterculture.[13]

The city operates with a commission-based government guided by a mayor and four commissioners as well as Metro, the only directly elected metropolitan planning organization in the United States.[14] The city government is notable for its land-use planning and investment in public transportation.[15] Portland is frequently recognized as one of the world's most environmentally conscious cities because of its high walkability, large community of bicyclists, farm-to-table dining, expansive network of public transportation options, and over 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares) of public parks.[16] Its climate is marked by warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. This climate is ideal for growing roses, and Portland has been called the "City of Roses" for over a century.[17][18] "Keep Portland Weird" is an unofficial slogan for the city.[19][20]

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Choose the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Portland OR

Choosing the right electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers unique options for certification also. Probably The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Portland OR.

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