How to Become an Electrician in Mount Pleasant Texas
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Mount Pleasant TX. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are a number of factors to evaluate. For example, many potential students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have found a few that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the sole factors that must be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final judgment when selecting an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are available.
Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs near Mount Pleasant TX
There are several options to get electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Mount Pleasant TX. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are short summaries of the three most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Texas vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are offered by Texas junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Texas colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out before licensing. Therefore, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Mount Pleasant TX can carry out a vast array of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be earned in several specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 3 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Schools in Mount Pleasant TX
An option that you might have contemplated 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 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 can be accessed online, internet learning may be a more accommodating alternative for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Commuting expenses from Mount Pleasant TX are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Mount Pleasant TX area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to selecting an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Mount Pleasant TX program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive a superior education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It might also mean that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Mount Pleasant TX graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Mount Pleasant TX area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build 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 state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Mount Pleasant TX electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Mount Pleasant home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Mount Pleasant TX, confirm that the programs you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, 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 Mount Pleasant TX?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Mount Pleasant TX area.
Mount Pleasant, Texas
Mount Pleasant was founded May 11, 1848, to serve as county seat for Titus County, which was created by a legislative act on May 11, 1846. Until after the Civil War, Titus County also included the territory of present-day Franklin and Morris Counties. High waters along the creeks and the Sulphur River often halted travel in the early years.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.7 square miles (33.0 km²), of which, 12.5 square miles (32.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km2) is covered by water.
As of the census[1] of 2000, 13,935 people, 4,558 households, and 3,208 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,112.0 people per square mile (429.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 56.70% White, 16.00% African American, 0.55% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 23.57% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 40.65% of the population.
Pick the Ideal Electrician Tech School near Mount Pleasant TX
Picking the right electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrical training program that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, 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 as well. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk 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 training program you select is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Mount Pleasant TX.
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