Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Irvington VA 22480

How to Become an Electrician in Irvington Virginia

Irvington VA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Irvington VA. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to evaluate. For instance, many prospective students will start by searching for schools that are close to their residence. When they have identified a few that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the only things that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are accessible.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Irvington VA

Irvington VA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple approaches to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Irvington VA. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are short summaries of the 3 most typical programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Virginia trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees take two years to finish and are offered by Virginia junior or community colleges, usually 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 earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Virginia colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines

Irvington VA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Irvington VA can carry out a vast array of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly about four to five years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician tech school that you pick not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Schools in Irvington VA

attending electrician school online in Irvington VA An option that you may have contemplated is choosing an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools have become more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning can be a more convenient alternative for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Commuting expenses from Irvington VA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed online also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Irvington VA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Since there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Irvington VA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research before choosing an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Irvington VA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you get a superior education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states require 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It might also mean that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may result in 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 an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Irvington VA grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Irvington VA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment 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 instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Irvington VA electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Irvington home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some 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 assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Irvington VA, confirm that the schools you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Irvington VA?

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

Irvington, Virginia

Irvington is a town in Lancaster County, Virginia, United States. The population was 673 at the 2000 census and it is located on a peninsula of land known as the Northern Neck. It is the name also of a historic district.

The original Chesapeake Academy, 1889–1907, was located in Irvington. One of its graduates, Claybrook Cottingham, was later its assistant principal and subsequently in his long academic career the president of both Louisiana College in Pineville and Louisiana Tech University in Ruston.[3]

The historic district, Irvington, also known as Carters Creek, is a 1,107.2-acre (448.1 ha) area that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. In 2000, it included 149 contributing buildings, 3 contributing sites and one other contributing structure.[4]

The location could not be found.

Enroll in the Right Electrician Technical School near Irvington VA

Picking the right electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician training that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to attend some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you choose is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Irvington VA.