Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Portsmouth VA 23701

How to Become an Electrician in Portsmouth Virginia

Portsmouth VA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Portsmouth VA. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of points to consider. For instance, many students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the sole qualifications that must be considered. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are offered.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Portsmouth VA

Portsmouth VA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general ways to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Portsmouth VA. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are short explanations of the three most typical programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Virginia trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are offered by Virginia community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some Virginia colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be completed before licensing. Therefore, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines

Portsmouth VA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Portsmouth VA can carry out a wide range of duties, including 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 the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be earned in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes three 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes in Portsmouth VA

attending electrician school online in Portsmouth VA An alternative that you might have considered is selecting an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools have become more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning might be a more accommodating option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Portsmouth VA are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Portsmouth VA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Portsmouth VA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to selecting an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade schools have acquired 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 a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Portsmouth VA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it can help 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 course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It might also indicate 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 more extensive list of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Portsmouth VA grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Portsmouth VA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools 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, talk to the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Portsmouth VA electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Portsmouth home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to several of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Portsmouth VA, check that the schools you are considering offer 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 due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Portsmouth VA?

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

Portsmouth, Virginia

The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S. Navy facility that is actually located in Portsmouth rather than Norfolk; the original name "Gosport" was changed to "Norfolk" to reflect its location in what is now the former Norfolk County, Virginia. The shipyard upgrades, remodels, and repairs ships of the US Navy and is one of the few facilities in the world with the capability to dry dock an aircraft carrier.

Directly opposite Norfolk, the city of Portsmouth also has miles of waterfront land on the Elizabeth River as part of the harbor of Hampton Roads. There is a ferry boat that takes riders back and forth across the water between Downtown Norfolk and Olde Towne Portsmouth.

Portsmouth is located on the western side of the Elizabeth River directly across from the City of Norfolk. In 1620, the future site of Portsmouth was recognized as suitable shipbuilding location by John Wood, a shipbuilder, who petitioned King James I of England for a land grant. The surrounding area was soon settled as a plantation community.[4]

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Find the Right Electrical Vocational School near Portsmouth VA

Selecting the right electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Portsmouth VA.