How to Select the Best Electrician Technical School near Frankfort Maine
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Frankfort ME. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are so many factors to evaluate. For instance, some students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their home. When they have identified a few that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that need to be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are offered.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are three general ways to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Frankfort ME. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Following are short summaries of the 3 most typical programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Maine trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards those who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to complete and are offered by Maine junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Maine colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be completed before licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Frankfort ME can perform a multitude of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about 4 to 5 years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be obtained in many specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes three 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you choose not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Schools Online
A possibility that you might have considered is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning can be a more convenient alternative for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Driving expenses from Frankfort ME are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line also. All of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Once you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Frankfort ME area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other factors that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research before selecting an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Frankfort ME program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive an excellent education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, many states require 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 looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It may also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to utilize 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 additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Frankfort ME students secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Frankfort ME area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Frankfort ME electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Frankfort home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to several of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Frankfort ME, confirm that the programs you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Electrician Degrees Online Frankfort Maine
Selecting the best electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Degrees Online and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Training Programs. But as we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician training that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you select is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Frankfort ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Frankfort, Maine
Frankfort is the oldest town on the Penobscot River, first settled in the 1760s by Massachusetts soldiers from nearby Fort Pownall. With the end of the French and Indian War, the Penobscot Valley became part of New England, and more specifically Massachusetts, leading to the first cautious encroachments by English-speaking settlers on the lands of the Penobscot Indians. This process, which would begin in Frankfort, would end with the founding of Bangor, Brewer, Orono, Old Town and other inland settlements, and the eventual restriction of the Penobscot people to their major village at "Indian Old Town", or the present Penobscot Indian Reservation.
Today's Frankfort is just a small portion of the original town, which contained the present-day towns of Frankfort, Winterport, Stockton Springs, and Prospect. Ft. Pownall was thus in Frankfort, and the town's major village was what is now Winterport. Frankfort was a logical place for settlement not only because Verona Island commanded the approach up the river, but because the river above the town froze during the winter, making this the last ice-free port as one ascended — hence the name "Winterport".
A British fleet anchored off Frankfort in 1814 on its way to sack Bangor and Hampden. The British confiscated provisions from the town and took one ship. The town suffered greatly during the War of 1812 as the British blockade destroyed the coasting trade on which it depended.
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