Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Schuylkill Haven PA 17972

How to Become an Electrician in Schuylkill Haven Pennsylvania

Schuylkill Haven PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Schuylkill Haven PA. 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 so many factors to consider. For instance, many prospective students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have found several that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Although cost and location are of importance, they are not the only qualifications that must be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Schuylkill Haven PA

Schuylkill Haven PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Schuylkill Haven PA. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve two years to complete and are provided by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Pennsylvania colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria

Schuylkill Haven PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Schuylkill Haven PA can undertake a vast array of services, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually evaluate 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 differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be earned in various specializations, such as 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 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 pick not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Training Classes in Schuylkill Haven PA

attending electrician school online in Schuylkill Haven PA A possibility that you might have looked at is selecting an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning can be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting expenses from Schuylkill Haven PA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Schuylkill Haven PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Schuylkill Haven PA region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. 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 decision, there are other factors that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Schuylkill Haven 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. Along with helping guarantee that you receive a quality education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it 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 lower completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It might also signify that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Schuylkill Haven PA students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Schuylkill Haven PA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Schuylkill Haven PA electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Schuylkill Haven home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the instructors and find out 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 reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Schuylkill Haven PA, verify that the programs you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain 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 Schuylkill Haven PA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Schuylkill Haven PA area.

Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania

Schuylkill Haven is a borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, four miles (6 km) south of Pottsville and 89 miles (143 km) north-west of Philadelphia, in the United States. The borough's population was 5,548 as of the 2000 census. Schuylkill Haven is situated along the Schuylkill River for which it is named. Schuylkill Haven is a focal point of activity in southern Schuylkill County.

The earliest white settlers first arrived in the area in the 1730s, traveled north of the Blue Mountain at the modern Berks-Schuylkill County line at that time. The first settler in Schuylkill Haven was John Fincher, a Quaker from Chester County, Pennsylvania. Fincher received a land grant of 225 acres (0.91 km2) on March 5, 1750, the day which Schuylkill Haven considers to be its unofficial founding. Fincher constructed a house and barn near the Schuylkill River, and called his small settlement "Fincher's Ford."

The next known settler of Schuylkill Haven was Martin Dreibelbis, a German who arrived in the Spring of 1775. Martin Dreibelbis constructed a house, saw mill, distillery, and a grist mill on the eastern bank of the Schuylkill River. He later built a log house near modern-day Main Street, giving Martin Dreibelbis the title of the first citizen of Schuylkill Haven. Martin Dreibelbis willed the original plot of the town to a son, Jacob. Another son, Daniel, received an area east of the original plot, and a third son, George, received an area outside of the present borough known as "Seven Stars" (located north of Schuylkill Haven on the Schuylkill River). The original plot of Schuylkill Haven shows that the borough stretched from the Schuylkill River on the west, to present-day Main Street on the north (then known as Front Street), to Saint Peter Street on the east (then known as Jacob Street), and Liberty Street on the south. Present-day Columbia Street was the main residential district.[3]

The location could not be found.

Find the Right Electrical Trade School near Schuylkill Haven PA

Picking the right electrician training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers different options for certification also. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Schuylkill Haven PA.