How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Vocational School near Kittery Maine
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Kittery ME. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are so many points to evaluate. For example, many prospective students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their residence. After they have identified some that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the only qualifications that must be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are several approaches to obtain electrician training in a trade or technical school near Kittery ME. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are short summaries of the three most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Maine trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require two years to complete and are provided by Maine community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Maine colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Kittery ME can undertake a multitude of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about four to five years of practical experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be acquired in several specialties, such as 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 organizations 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 vocational school that you enroll in not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
An alternative that you might have contemplated is selecting an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, distance learning can be a more convenient choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Driving expenses from Kittery ME are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available on line also. Each 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.
Things to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Kittery ME area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research before selecting an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Kittery ME school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Also, many states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It may also signify that the teachers were not qualified 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 more extensive directory of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Kittery ME grads secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Kittery ME area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Kittery ME electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Kittery home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Kittery ME, check that the schools you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.
Journeyman Electrician School Kittery Maine
Picking the right electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Journeyman Electrician School and wanting more information on the topic Electrical College Courses. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician training that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on some 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 commitment, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Kittery ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Kittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals. The town is a tourist destination known for its many outlet stores.
Kittery is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The town's population was 9,490 at the 2010 census. Kittery may be the namesake of William Billings' 1783 anthem "Kittery", which is printed in the Shenandoah Harmony and Missouri Harmony shape note tunebooks, but because the song was published after the incorporation of the town, this is debated.
English settlement around the natural harbor of the Piscataqua River estuary began about 1623. By 1632 it was protected by Fort William and Mary on today's New Hampshire side of the river; in 1689 defensive works that later became Fort McClary in Kittery Point were added on today's Maine side to the north.
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