How to Become an Electrician in Corry Pennsylvania
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Corry PA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of variables to evaluate. For example, many prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have located a few that are within commuting distance, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the sole qualifications that must be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final judgment when picking an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are accessible.
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs near Corry PA
There are three general options to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Corry PA. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Bellow are short summaries of the three most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Pennsylvania trade and technical schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require two years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Pennsylvania institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be carried out before licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Corry PA can perform a multitude of services, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be acquired in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you pick not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Programs Online in Corry PA
An option that you might have looked at is choosing an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more convenient option for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Travelling expenses from Corry PA are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Corry PA area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional variables that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Corry PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you get a superior education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, 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 considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It might also signify that the teachers were not qualified 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 graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Corry PA students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Corry PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained 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, check with the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Corry PA electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Corry residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized instruction 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 big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Corry PA, verify that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, check out 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 Corry PA?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Corry PA area.
Corry, Pennsylvania
Corry is a city in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. With a population of 6,605 at the 2010 United States Census, it is the second largest city in Erie County. Corry is a part of the Erie, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city became famous in the late-19th and early-20th centuries for being the manufacturer of Climax locomotives.
Erie County was formed from parts of Allegheny County on March 12, 1800.[3] On May 27, 1861, tracks owned by the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad intersected with those of the Sunbury and Erie Railroad and was called the "Atlantic and Erie Junction".[4][5] Land at the junction was owned by Hiram Cory, who sold a portion to the Atlantic and Great Western in October 1861. The railroad built a ticket office at the junction and named it for Cory, but through a misspelling it became Corry.[4]
The combination of railroad growth and the discovery of oil in nearby Titusville contributed greatly to Corry's development. This boomtown was chartered as a borough in 1863 and designated as a city in 1866. Industry has played a big part in Corry's growth, and the Corry Area Historical Society maintains a museum where one of the Climax locomotives (the steam engine used in logging operations that brought fame to Corry) is on display.
Pick the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Corry PA
Selecting the right electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program provides different options for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Corry PA.
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