How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Vocational School near Dexter Maine
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Dexter ME. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are so many variables to examine. For example, many prospective students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. After they have identified several that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important, they are not the only things that must be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your final decision when selecting an electrician school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options
There are several ways to get electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Dexter ME. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you would like to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most prevalent programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by Maine trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards students who wish to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Maine community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Maine institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed before licensing. Therefore, most students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Dexter ME can undertake a wide range of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be obtained in various specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves three levels of competency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations 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 trade school that you pick not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Programs Online
An option that you might have looked at is choosing an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more practical choice for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Driving expenses from Dexter ME are also minimized and some of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
When you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Dexter ME region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other variables that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have received 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. Confirm that the Dexter ME program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. 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 schools 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 lower completion rate could signify that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It might also signify that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Dexter ME graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician trade programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Dexter ME area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools 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, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Dexter ME electrical company if they can give you some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Dexter home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized instruction 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 big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to several of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Dexter ME, verify that the programs you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Advanced Electrical Courses Dexter Maine
Selecting the ideal electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Advanced Electrical Courses and wanting more information on the topic Become Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every program provides unique options for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you choose 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 Dexter ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Dexter, Maine
Dexter is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,895 at the 2010 census.[4] It is part of the Bangor metropolitan statistical area. Dexter Regional High School, which serves Dexter as well as other nearby small towns, is located in the town.
Dexter was settled beginning in 1801 by Ebenezer Small, David Smith, and others from New Hampshire, and was originally called Elkinstown. When incorporated as a town in 1816, it named itself after Judge Samuel Dexter,[5] who was then running for governor of Massachusetts (of which Maine was still a part). The town of Brooks in nearby Waldo County was incorporated the same year and named for the opposing candidate, John Brooks. Brooks won the election. The town of Dexter, however, achieved the greater prosperity.[6]
The town grew because of its location on the East Branch of the Sebasticook River, which provided excellent water power for mills. In 1818, Jonathan Farrar constructed a grist mill at the falls. The Dexter Historical Society today uses the building which replaced it in 1854 as part of its museum complex. The stream would also power five woolen mills, the oldest and largest of which was established by Amos and Jeremiah Abbott in 1836. Amos Abbott & Company, which closed in 1975, was the only textile mill in the United States owned by one family for such a long period.[7] In the 1960s, the town's name became familiar throughout New England because of the pervasive log cabin style factory outlets of the Dexter Shoe Company, founded in a vacant Dexter woolen mill in 1958 by Harold Alfond.[8]
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