Improve Your Job Prospects With Electrician Training

If you need to find a new occupation that offers job security and good pay, you should consider becoming an electrician. You can work for a construction company, another electrician, or you can start your own business. To obtain your license, you'll need to have classroom learning and on-the-job training in the form of an apprenticeship. Here are a few things to know.

Attend Trade School

You may find the easiest way to get started as an electrician is to enter a trade electrician school. Once you have the classroom learning completed, you'll be more valuable for a company to take on as an apprentice. Also, the electrician trade school, like HVAC Technical Institute, may help you find an apprenticeship program to complete your training.

The alternative to trade school is to try to get an apprenticeship program through a local union or contractor association. If you're accepted, you'll work as an apprentice during the day and take classes in the evening or on your days off. It may be more difficult to find an apprenticeship program in this way, which is why a trade school may be your best option.

Whichever route you take, be sure the training you undergo gives you the required hours you need to take the electrician's license test in your state. Requirements are set by each state. You need a specific number of hours in classroom study and a set number of hours of apprenticeship duties in various types of electrical work. The test is based on the National Electrical Code, so you'll want to make sure the program you choose trains you thoroughly, so you are prepared for the exam.

The Training

Typical electrician training lasts about four years. During this time you'll receive 144 hours of classroom instruction and 2000 hours of work experience. This qualifies you for the journeyman license. If you want to obtain a master electrician's license, you will need further training, and you'll need to take another examination. Although it seems like a long time to spend learning a trade, you'll be paid as you go since most of the time you'll be working as an apprentice.

When you begin your apprenticeship, you'll work alongside a licensed journeyman doing basic tasks. As your knowledge and skills increase, you will take on more complex job duties and your salary will increase as well. Depending on the apprenticeship you choose, you may even receive benefits such as insurance and vacation pay. So even though your training may take four years, you are working as an apprentice electrician during much of that time, so you can still earn a living.

Getting Started

The first step is to check with your state's licensing office to find out the requirements for taking the electrician's examination. Once you know that information, you can look for a trade school that offers the educational requirements you need. You also want to ensure you are eligible to enter the trade school. There may be prerequisites such as a high school diploma and courses in algebra and physics.

As an electrician, you'll have a bright future. You may work in a commercial or industrial setting. You might install wiring in new homes or repair wiring in old homes. You could also choose to work on power lines. Once you have your license, you are free to work anywhere in your state and change jobs when you want, so you can keep your work life interesting and challenging.

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