How to Find the Best Electrician Tech School near Bridgton Maine
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Bridgton ME. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are so many factors to consider. For example, many students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their home. When they have located several that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the only qualifications that should be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options
There are multiple options to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Bridgton ME. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Maine technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards those who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take 2 years to complete and are provided by Maine junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Maine colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed before licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Bridgton ME can carry out a multitude of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about four to five years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be earned in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes 3 levels of competency:
- 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 important that the electrician trade school that you select not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Training Classes
An option that you might have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more convenient alternative for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Travelling costs from Bridgton ME are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Bridgton ME area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Bridgton ME program and school 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 guarantee that you obtain an excellent education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also mean that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Bridgton ME graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Bridgton ME area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Bridgton ME electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Bridgton 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 important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to several of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Bridgton ME, confirm that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Learn How To Be An Electrician Bridgton Maine
Choosing the ideal electrician trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Learn How To Be An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic How Long Does It Take To Become An Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Bridgton ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Bridgton, Maine
Bridgton is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,210 at the 2010 census.[4] A resort area in Maine's Lakes Region, Bridgton is home to Bridgton Academy, a private preparatory school, and the Four on the Fourth Road Race.
The undeveloped land was first called Pondicherry. It was granted in 1768 by the Massachusetts General Court to Moody Bridges and a group of proprietors. Settlement began in 1770 at what is now North Bridgton, where a tavern was built. The community was organized in 1779 as Bridgetown Plantation, named after Moody Bridges, and then incorporated on February 7, 1794 as Bridgton.[5]
Stevens Brook is only a mile and a half long, but it provided water power for 12 mill sites. It developed as an industrial center, with sawmills, gristmills, woolen textile mills, a tannery, shoe factory and brick manufacturer. Later, a corn and vegetable packing plant was built, in addition to a foundry, machine shop, shovel handle factory, sash and blind factory, and a coffin shop. Population increased when goods manufactured by water power could be transported to outside markets on the Cumberland and Oxford Canal, which opened to Portland in 1832.[6] By the mid-19th century, the town contained about 3,000 inhabitants. When the Portland and Ogdensburg Railway bypassed Bridgton, the town built the 2-foot-gauge (610 mm) Bridgton and Saco River Railroad link to the national rail network in 1883.[7] Summer vacationers arrived by rail and steamboat until automobile tourists began arriving after designation of the Theodore Roosevelt International Highway in 1919 (identified as U.S. Route 302 since 1935).[8] The convenience of highway travel caused abandonment of the canal steamboats in 1932 and the narrow-gauge railroad in 1941. Bridgton remains a popular resort area, with many children's summer camps located along the shores of the beautiful lakes and Shawnee Peak Ski Area, a ski resort, located in the western part of town.
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