Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Lafayette Hill PA 19444

How to Become an Electrician in Lafayette Hill Pennsylvania

Lafayette Hill PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Lafayette Hill PA. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are so many factors to evaluate. For example, some potential students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have identified a few that are within driving range, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the only qualifications that need to be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are accessible.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Lafayette Hill PA

Lafayette Hill PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several options to get electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Lafayette Hill PA. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short explanations of the three most prevalent programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Pennsylvania trade and technical schools and take 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 take 2 years to complete and are offered by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Requirements

Lafayette Hill PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Lafayette Hill PA can undertake a vast array of services, 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 most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around four to five years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be obtained in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 3 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Programs Online in Lafayette Hill PA

attending electrician school online in Lafayette Hill PA An option that you might have considered is selecting an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, internet learning may be a more convenient option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Driving expenses from Lafayette Hill PA are also reduced and some of the study materials may be available on line as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Lafayette Hill PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Because there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Lafayette Hill PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other factors that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Lafayette Hill PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire an excellent education, it may assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify 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 finish the program. A low completion rate could signify that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can result in 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 trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Lafayette Hill PA students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Lafayette Hill PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish 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 up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Lafayette Hill PA electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Lafayette Hill residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one 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 witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to several of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Lafayette Hill PA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, check out 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 Lafayette Hill PA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Lafayette Hill PA area.

Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania

Lafayette Hill is located just west of Philadelphia's Chestnut Hill neighborhood, and south of Plymouth Meeting. Lafayette Hill draws its name from the French General Marquis de Lafayette, who stayed there during the American Revolution.

Prior to general decampment from Valley Forge in the spring of 1778, George Washington dispatched an estimated 2200 troops under the command of Marquis de Lafayette to act as a defensive screen and to conduct reconnaissance of the British army, which had garrisoned in Philadelphia for the winter. The two forces had a brief engagement at nearby Barren Hill.

Lafayette Hill is an affluent area with many parks and nature reserves. It is also home to a prominent Jewish community. Additionally, it is a commuter town, as many individuals travel to Philadelphia for work every day. Its main transit system is SEPTA.

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Find the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Lafayette Hill PA

Choosing the ideal electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Lafayette Hill PA.