How to Pick the Right Electrician Technical School near Buckfield Maine
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Buckfield ME. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many points to consider. For example, some prospective students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have located a few that are within commuting distance, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the only things that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your final judgment when picking 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 being an electrician and the educational options that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are three general approaches to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Buckfield ME. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the 3 most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Maine technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who wish to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to complete and are offered by Maine junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Maine colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be completed before licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Buckfield ME can undertake a vast array of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be acquired in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes 3 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
An alternative that you might have contemplated is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools 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 practical choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Driving expenses from Buckfield ME are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be accessed on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
When you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Buckfield ME area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have acquired 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 a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Buckfield ME school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are considering 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 might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It may also signify that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly 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 result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Buckfield ME grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Buckfield ME area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Buckfield ME electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within driving distance of your Buckfield home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few 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 Buckfield ME, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Schools That Offer Electrician Training Buckfield Maine
Choosing the ideal electrician training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Schools That Offer Electrician Training and wanting more information on the topic Accredited Electrician Degree Programs. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each program offers different options for certification also. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Buckfield ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Buckfield, Maine
Buckfield is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Buckfield is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area. It is a member of Regional School Unit 10 along with nearby Hartford and Sumner. The town had a population of 2,009 as of the 2010 census.
It was first settled in 1776 by Benjamin Spaulding from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, a fur trapper. Abijah Buck and Thomas Allen settled in the area in spring of 1777 with their families. In 1785, the inhabitants procured a survey of the town and purchased it from Massachusetts for 2 shillings per acre. Originally called Bucktown Plantation (or Plantation No. 5), in 1793 the Massachusetts General Court incorporated it as Buckfield, named for Abijah Buck.[5]
The surface of the town is uneven, but has deep, dark soil that yielded good crops of grain, corn and apples. The east and west branches of the Nezinscot River join at Buckfield Village, supplying water power for mills. Products included lumber, roof shingles, barrel staves, box boards, shovel handles, snow-shovels, handsleds, drag-rakes, brushes, brush blocks, powder-kegs, leather harness, cutting-blocks and men's boots.[6] In 1870, the population of the town was 1,494. The Rumford Falls and Buckfield Railroad passed through the town. Its depot was at Buckfield Village, the business center for the area.[7]
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