For high school graduates, the future is brimming with opportunity and promise. It’s an exciting time to dream big and plan your next steps, but it’s also important to think about building a stable and reliable career. If you’re ready to kick-start your professional life and have a high school diploma, consider joining the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. This global union represents skilled electricians and offers a dependable career path with plenty of growth potential. It’s a chance to secure your future while stepping into a field that values hard work and expertise.
What Is Electrical Trade School?
Attending an electrical trade school is an essential first step towards a successful career as an electrician. This is particularly significant in states without an apprenticeship requirement for licensing. However, even in states with this requirement, trade school offers more than just valuable education. In fact, in certain states, the time spent in school can count towards the completion of apprenticeship hours.
Trade schools teach exclusively to the skills required by a particular trade. Electrical trade school teaches the skills that are needed to become a properly licensed master electrician. When this is the foundation upon which an apprenticeship program is built, candidates are stepping into the field with a proverbial leg up.
Trade schools teach their students about electrical current, AC and DC power and other electrical concepts, including wiring, motors and electrical controls. They communicate the basics of the field, informing about such things as the differences and similarities between an apprentice, journeyman and master electrician and teach to industrial, commercial and residential electrical needs.
Another defining characteristic of electrical trade schools is that they are extremely hands-on. This hands-on training is how the instructors take the theory that they've been giving students and apply it to real-life practical applications. Because class sizes are so small, there is lots of personalized engagement between teachers and students. Further, the instructors are all generally masters in the field in which they are instructing. In short, they know their business and have been hired to communicate their years of wisdom to their students.
How Important Are Electricians in the World?
Have you ever wondered what the world would be like without electricity? To say that it would be a devastating turn of events is putting it mildly. To bring it down to a smaller scale, have you ever had an electrical issue in front of you that you could not solve? Was it disruptive to your progress? Answering these questions illustrates how valuable electricians are. Their work is everywhere, both seen and unseen. To simplify the point, imagine a world that gets dark when the sun goes down and you'll know a world without electricians.
What Is the Best Electrical Trade School?
When considering electrical trade schools, there are a few factors to keep in mind. Begin by evaluating the cost and location, as attending a program near your home is likely more cost-effective. Next, determine if the program specializes in a specific area and identify the required courses. Lastly, try contacting employers who have hired former students and speak with current students to gather more information about the school.
Fortunately, electrical trade schools can be found in every state, making it convenient to pursue this career path. To choose which course to pursue, research the local companies in need of electricians and the specific skills they require.
A comprehensive training program should cover all the fundamentals of electrical theory. Understanding when and how to apply concepts like conduit bending is just as vital as comprehending their definitions. And, of course, mastering practical tasks like bending a conduit distinguishes trade schools from colleges.
How Long Does Electrical Trade School Take To Complete?
Electrical trade schools vary in their durations, depending on many things. Most can be completed in two years or less. In Maine, for instance, becoming a licensed journeyman electrician requires about 8,000 hours of electrical work experience. However, it also requires 576 hours of classroom training, which is about two years' worth. Different states have different requirements, so the hours vary from state to state.
Upon completion of trade school, many would-be electricians continue their journey by becoming apprentices. In this way, their education doesn't really stop. In fact, it doesn't look a whole lot different than the trade school experience. Seasoned professionals are working with younger electricians to help them to define the field with their burgeoning knowledge.
How Much Does Electric Trade School Cost?
Tuition can vary according to the length and depth of the program. However, one of the signature differences between a trade school versus a four-year college is that a trade school is going to cost you a whole lot less. While the average price of a four-year college education is around $40,000, the average price for trade schooling is between $5,000 and $15,000.
According to the US Department of Education, electrical trade school costs, on average, between $12,000 and $13,000 and take about twelve months to complete. The long and short of it is that because a trade school only teaches to the particular trade, with no electives or general education studies, students matriculate in a faster and more cost-effective manner than they would at a traditional four-year college.
How Much Do Electricians Earn?
A career as an electrician can be lucrative. The median average salary for an electrician in America in 2021 was about $60,000. Often times, this can grow if you are willing to travel and absorb long hours on behalf of your employer.
Further, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected outlook for the future employment of electricians is projected to grow in the coming years. This is an important insight because being paid well to do your job is only as valuable as having a job to do. When considering the fields that are becoming obsolete, such as data entry analysts and print binders, it's important to consider the state of the world. The future is trending continuously toward technology. Of course, that means that electricians will be on the vanguard, making sure that everything hums fluidly.
Who Should Consider Electrical Trade Schools?
If you're a young adult who has the future before them but no clear line to financial freedom, you might consider a career in the electric field. If you enjoy a job that mixes working with your hands and your mind, where your foundation of knowledge can constantly be built upon, you might consider becoming an electrician. Finally, if you like being the one who keeps things running smoothly and efficiently so that others can go about their own work, you'll definitely want to think about electrical school.
