How to Become an Electrician in Shamrock Texas
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Shamrock TX. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are so many points to evaluate. For instance, many potential students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have found some that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole things that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are accessible.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Shamrock TX
There are three general approaches to get electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Shamrock TX. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three options. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Following are short summaries of the three most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Texas trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards students who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to complete and are offered by Texas community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Texas institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be completed before licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines
Electricians in Shamrock TX can perform a multitude of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly around four to five years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in various 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 imperative that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes in Shamrock TX
An option that you might have looked at is choosing an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, internet learning might be a more practical choice for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Commuting costs from Shamrock TX are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be available online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Training Schools
When you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Shamrock TX area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research before selecting an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Shamrock TX school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It may also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which may 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 help Shamrock TX grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Shamrock TX area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Shamrock TX electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Shamrock home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with 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 assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Shamrock TX, check that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Shamrock TX?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Shamrock TX area.
Shamrock, Texas
Shamrock is a city in Wheeler County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 1,910.[3] The city is located in the eastern portion of the Texas Panhandle centered along the crossroads of Interstate 40 (formerly U.S. Route 66) and U.S. Route 83. It is 110 miles (180 km) east of Amarillo, 188 miles (303 km) west of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and 291 miles (468 km) northwest of Dallas.[4]
Located in south central Wheeler County, Shamrock was the largest town in the county in the late 19th century. George and Dora Nickel consented to keep the first post office in their dugout there in 1890. The mail was to be carried once a week from Mobeetie. The neighbors decided to let George name the office. His Irish mother had told him always to depend on a shamrock to bring him good luck, so he suggested "Shamrock" for the name of the office. When a mysterious fire destroyed his dugout, though, George Nickel's post office never opened. Mary Ruth Jones became Shamrock's first postmistress, running the Shamrock post office out of the Jones family home. In 1902, the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway set up a station in the town, calling it "Wheeler" like the county, but changing it back to the original name of Shamrock in 1903, which prompted the reopening of the Shamrock post office. By 1907, the town was competing with the towns of Story and Benonine as trade centers.[5]
The town continued its growth as other businesses moved into the city, including the county newspaper, which moved from Story and renamed itself from the Wheeler County Texan to the Shamrock Texan, several banks, and Shamrock Cotton Oil Mill. In 1911, E. L. Woodley became the mayor of the newly incorporated city. In 1926, the discovery of oil and the operation of natural gas wells by Shamrock Gas Company helped spur the city's continuing growth. A decline in the oil industry caused the population to drop in the 1940s, but it rebounded in the next decade with the improvement of Route 66. By the 1980s, the town was home to an established modern school system, a chemical plant, oil and gas processing plants, and a hospital.[5]
Pick the Right Electrical Trade School near Shamrock TX
Picking the ideal electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides unique options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you select is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Shamrock TX.
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