Find Electrician Schools Near Me in State College PA 16801

How to Become an Electrician in State College Pennsylvania

State College PA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near State College PA. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are so many points to examine. For example, some prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have located a few that are within driving range, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though cost and location are important, they are not the sole qualifications that should be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your final judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will cover 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 educational options that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near State College PA

State College PA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several approaches to receive electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near State College PA. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to become licensed or if you want to become certified. Bellow are short summaries of the 3 most typical programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Pennsylvania vocational and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards those who would like to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are provided by Pennsylvania community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Pennsylvania colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines

State College PA electricians working on power lines Electricians in State College 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 concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around four to five years of prior experience is called for before taking 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 identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you pick not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes in State College PA

attending electrician school online in State College PA An option that you might have looked at is selecting an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning can be a more practical choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Travelling expenses from State College PA are also reduced and some of the study materials may be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

State College PA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Because there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the State College PA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are additional factors that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the State College PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a quality education, it can assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order 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 or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate could suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It might also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which can result in 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 industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist State College PA graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with State College PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local State College PA electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your State College residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to several of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near State College PA, check 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 permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near State College PA?

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

State College, Pennsylvania

State College is a home rule municipality in Centre County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the largest designated borough in Pennsylvania.[4] It is the principal borough of the six municipalities that make up the State College Metropolitan Statistical Area, the largest settlement in Centre County and one of the principal cities of the greater State College-DuBois Combined Statistical Area with a combined population of 236,577 as of the 2010 United States Census. In the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034 with approximately 105,000 living in the borough plus the surrounding townships often referred to locally as the "Centre Region." Many of these Centre Region communities also carry a "State College, PA" address although are not part of the borough of State College.[4]

State College is a college town, dominated economically and demographically by the presence of the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). Though "Happy Valley" is another often-used term to refer to the State College area, the term also includes the borough and the townships of College, Harris, Patton, and Ferguson.

In 2013, State College was ranked as the third-safest metropolitan area in the United States by the CQ Press.[5] In 2016, State College was ranked the 8th best college town in the nation by Best College Reviews.[6]

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Find the Right Electrician Trade School near State College PA

Picking the right electrical training program will undoubtedly 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 evaluate and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in State College PA.