How to Select the Best Electrician Technical School near New Portland Maine
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near New Portland ME. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many variables to examine. For instance, many students will start by looking for schools that are close to their home. When they have found a few that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the only qualifications that must be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your final judgment when choosing an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are available.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are multiple ways to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near New Portland ME. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Bellow are brief explanations of the 3 most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically offered by Maine technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who wish to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to complete and are offered by Maine community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Maine colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in New Portland ME can carry out a multitude of duties, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically around four to five years of practical experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional method for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be obtained in many specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes 3 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 crucial that the electrician trade school that you select not only furnishes a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs
An option that you might have considered is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning may be a more convenient alternative for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Driving costs from New Portland ME are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the New Portland ME area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, 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 research before choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the New Portland ME school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order 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 indicate that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It may also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help New Portland ME students acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with New Portland ME area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local New Portland ME electrical contractor if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your New Portland home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with a few of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near New Portland ME, check that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.
Online Electrician Classes New Portland Maine
Choosing the best electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Online Electrician Classes and wanting more information on the topic How To Become A Commercial Electrician. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides different possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in New Portland ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is a city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a population of 67,067 as of 2017.[5] The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, more than one-third of Maine's total population, making it the most populous metro in northern New England (an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont). Portland is Maine's economic center, with an economy that relies on the service sector and tourism. The Old Port district is known for its 19th-century architecture and nightlife. Marine industry still plays an important role in the city's economy, with an active waterfront that supports fishing and commercial shipping. The Port of Portland is the largest tonnage seaport in New England.[6]
The city has also seen growth in the technology sector, with companies such as WEX building headquarters in the city. The city seal depicts a phoenix rising from ashes, which is a reference to the recoveries from four devastating fires.[7] Portland was named after the English Isle of Portland, Dorset. In turn, the city of Portland, Oregon was named after Portland, Maine.[8]
Native Americans, originally called the Portland peninsula Machigonne ("Great Neck").[9] Portland was named for the English Isle of Portland, and the city of Portland, Oregon, was in turn named for Portland, Maine.[10] The first European settler was Capt. Christopher Levett, an English naval captain granted 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) in 1623 to found a settlement in Casco Bay. A member of the Council for New England and agent for Ferdinando Gorges, Levett built a stone house where he left a company of ten men, then returned to England to write a book about his voyage to bolster support for the settlement.[11]Ultimately, the settlement was a failure and the fate of Levett's colonists is unknown. The explorer sailed from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony to meet John Winthrop in 1630, but never returned to Maine. Fort Levett in the harbor is named for him.
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