Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Southeastern PA 19397

How to Become an Electrician in Southeastern Pennsylvania

Southeastern PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Southeastern PA. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many variables to consider. For instance, some students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have located some that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that must be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are offered.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options near Southeastern PA

Southeastern PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several ways to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Southeastern PA. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the 3 most typical programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically offered by Pennsylvania technical and trade schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards students who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require 2 years to finish and are offered by Pennsylvania junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Pennsylvania institutions, but are less preferred 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 before licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines

Southeastern PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Southeastern PA can undertake a wide range of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be acquired in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Training Classes Online in Southeastern PA

attending electrician school online in Southeastern PA An option that you may have considered is selecting an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, internet learning may be a more accommodating alternative for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting costs from Southeastern PA are also lessened and a portion of the study materials may be available online as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Southeastern PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Southeastern PA region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional factors that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Southeastern PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire a superior education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, some states require 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 considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate might signify that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It could also signify that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which can 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 a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Southeastern PA grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Southeastern PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art 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 concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Southeastern PA electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Southeastern residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one 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 see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with several of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Southeastern PA, confirm that the programs you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Southeastern PA?

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

Planned Parenthood v. Casey

Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833 (1992),[1] was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the constitutionality of several Pennsylvania state statutory provisions regarding abortion was challenged. The Court's plurality opinion reaffirmed the central holding of Roe v. Wade[2] stating that "matters, involving the most intimate and personal choices a person may make in a lifetime, choices central to personal dignity and autonomy, are central to the liberty protected by the Fourteenth Amendment."[3] The Court's plurality opinion upheld the constitutional right to have an abortion while altering the standard for analyzing restrictions on that right, crafting the "undue burden" standard for abortion restrictions. Planned Parenthood v. Casey differs from Roe, however, because under Roe the state could not regulate abortions in the first trimester whereas under Planned Parenthood v. Casey the state can regulate abortions in the first trimester, or any point before the point of viability, and beyond as long as that regulation does not pose an undue burden on an abortion. Applying this new standard of review, the Court upheld four regulations and invalidated the requirement of spousal notification.

In Casey, the plaintiffs challenged five provisions of the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act of 1982 authored by Rep. Stephen F. Freind,[4] arguing that the provisions were unconstitutional under Roe v. Wade. The Court in Roe was the first to establish abortion as a fundamental right protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The majority in Roe further held that women have a privacy interest protecting their right to abortion embedded in the liberty clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The five provisions at issue in Casey are summarized below.

The case was a seminal one in the history of abortion decisions in the United States. It was the first case that provided an opportunity to overturn Roe since the two liberal Justices, William Brennan and Thurgood Marshall, were replaced with the Bush-appointed Justices David Souter and Clarence Thomas. Both were viewed as ostensible conservatives compared with their predecessors. This left the Court with eight Republican-appointed justices—six of whom had been appointed by Presidents Reagan or Bush, both of whom were well known for their opposition to Roe. Finally, the only remaining Democratic appointee—Justice Byron White—had been one of the two dissenters from the original Roe decision.

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Pick the Right Electrician Technical School near Southeastern PA

Picking the ideal electrician trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrician training that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each program offers different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Southeastern PA.