Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Plymouth Meeting PA 19462

How to Become an Electrician in Plymouth Meeting Pennsylvania

Plymouth Meeting PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Plymouth Meeting PA. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are so many points to consider. For instance, some prospective students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have identified a few that are within commuting distance, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. Even though cost and location are important, they are not the sole qualifications that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Plymouth Meeting PA

Plymouth Meeting PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several approaches to get electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Plymouth Meeting PA. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most typical programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards students who wish to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Pennsylvania institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria

Plymouth Meeting PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Plymouth Meeting PA can perform a multitude of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around 4 to 5 years of practical experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be acquired in various specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 3 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 imperative that the electrician trade school that you choose not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs in Plymouth Meeting PA

attending electrician school online in Plymouth Meeting PA An alternative that you may have considered is selecting an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning can be a more practical choice for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Driving expenses from Plymouth Meeting PA are also lessened and some of the study materials can be available on line also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Plymouth Meeting PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Plymouth Meeting PA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, 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 other variables that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Plymouth Meeting PA school is 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 get a superior education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It may also mean that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Plymouth Meeting PA grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician technical 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 inside their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Plymouth Meeting PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school 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 presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Plymouth Meeting PA electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Plymouth Meeting residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Plymouth Meeting PA, check that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Plymouth Meeting PA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Plymouth Meeting PA area.

Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania

The population of Plymouth Meeting was 6,177 in the 2010 census. Plymouth Meeting is home to the Colonial School District, the recently renovated Plymouth Meeting Mall and several large office parks and shopping centers. It was home to IKEA's U.S. headquarters.[3] The confluence of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276), the Blue Route (I-476) and the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-476) at the Mid-County Interchange occur in Plymouth Meeting. This interchange contributes to regional commerce and was a major driver for business and retail development.

The area was originally settled by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, who built the Plymouth Friends Meetinghouse in 1708. They sailed from Devonshire, England, on the ship Desire, arriving in Philadelphia on June 23, 1686. The settlement takes its name from the founders' hometown of Plymouth in Devon.

During the Revolutionary War, in May 1778, the Plymouth Friends Meetinghouse served as a temporary military hospital. General George Washington, then at Valley Forge, learned that a British force intended to seize the area and cut off movement of the Continental Army. He sent the Marquis de Lafayette and 2,100 troops to counter. They camped around the meetinghouse on the night before the May 19 Battle of Barren Hill. The next morning the British arrived with a massive force of 16,000, and tried to cut off any escape route. Lafayette instead took advantage of the Americans' knowledge of local roads, and escaped with minimal casualties.

The location could not be found.

Find the Right Electrician Vocational School near Plymouth Meeting PA

Selecting the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you select is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Plymouth Meeting PA.