Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Chantilly VA 20151

How to Become an Electrician in Chantilly Virginia

Chantilly VA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Chantilly VA. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to consider. For example, many prospective students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have identified a few that are within driving range, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though cost and location are significant, they are not the only things that need to be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your final decision when selecting an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are available.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Chantilly VA

Chantilly VA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several approaches to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Chantilly VA. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the 3 most typical programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Virginia vocational and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who wish to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve two years to finish and are offered by Virginia junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Virginia colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be completed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Criteria

Chantilly VA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Chantilly VA can perform a vast array of duties, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around 4 to 5 years of experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves 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 tech school that you choose not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online in Chantilly VA

attending electrician school online in Chantilly VA An alternative that you might have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning can be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Chantilly VA are also minimized and some of the study materials can be accessed on line also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Chantilly VA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Chantilly VA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial 2 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 final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional variables that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess prior to selecting an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Chantilly VA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states require that the electrician training course 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 or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can result in 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 industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Chantilly VA grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Chantilly VA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional 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, talk to the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Chantilly VA electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Chantilly residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to several of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some 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 handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Chantilly VA, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, find 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 Chantilly VA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Chantilly VA area.

Chantilly, Virginia

Chantilly is a census-designated place (CDP) in western Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.[3][4] The population was 23,039 at the 2010 census.[5] Chantilly is named after an early-19th-century mansion and farm, which in turn took the name of an 18th-century plantation that was located in Westmoreland County, Virginia.[6] The name "Chantilly" originated in France with the Château de Chantilly,[7][8] about 25 miles north of Paris.

Located in the Northern Virginia portion of the Washington metropolitan area, Chantilly sits approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of Washington, D.C., via Interstate 66 and U.S. Route 50. It is located between Centreville to the south, Herndon and Reston to the north and northeast, respectively, and Fairfax 7 miles (11 km) to the southeast. U.S. Route 50 and Virginia State Route 28 intersect in Chantilly, and these highways provide access to the Dulles/Reston/Tysons Corner technology corridor and other major employment centers in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Chantilly was home to a number of colonial plantations in the 1700s, including the Sully Plantation (now the Sully Historic Site) built by Richard Bland Lee I. Other plantations included George Richard Lee Turberville's "Leeton Grove"[9] (originally a 5,000+ acre plantation, the main house of which still stands at 4619 Walney Rd.), the John Hutchison Farm, and the Chantilly Plantation, after which Chantilly is named. Cornelia Lee Turberville Stuart, who was born at Leeton and was the daughter of George Richard Lee Turberville and Henrietta Lee, inherited a portion of Leeton in 1817 from her father. Stuart and her husband Charles Calvert Stuart, whom she had married in 1816, constructed the Chantilly Plantation and named it after the Westmoreland County plantation owned by her grandfather, Richard Henry Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. During the Civil War, federal troops destroyed by fire the Chantilly Plantation manor house. One building remains, a stone house across Route 50 from the Greenbriar Shopping Center. While it is not clear what this stone house was used for, most historical evidence suggests it was probably a plantation overseer's quarters during the antebellum period, and a tavern or boarding house following the war. After the war, Cornelia Stuart, who had become deeply in debt, sold her 1,064-acre (431 ha) Chantilly estate. The advertisement for the sale referenced several "tenements", one of which was the Stone House.

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Pick the Ideal Electrical Tech School near Chantilly VA

Choosing the right electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential 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 check out each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Chantilly VA.