How to Pick the Best Electrician Training School near Old Orchard Beach Maine
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Old Orchard Beach ME. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many variables to examine. For example, many students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have identified a few that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the only factors that must be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are several approaches to obtain electrician training in a trade or technical school near Old Orchard Beach 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 common as the first three options. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you would like to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the 3 most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Maine trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve two years to complete and are offered by Maine community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Maine institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Old Orchard Beach ME can perform a vast array of services, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes three levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you pick not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs
A possibility that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more practical option for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Travelling costs from Old Orchard Beach ME are also lessened and a portion of the study materials may be available online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Training Schools
When you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Old Orchard Beach ME region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature 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 taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Old Orchard Beach ME program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire a superior education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Also, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate could signify that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It could also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to use 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 industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Old Orchard Beach ME graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught along 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 businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Old Orchard Beach ME area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Old Orchard Beach ME electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Old Orchard Beach residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Old Orchard Beach ME, verify that the schools you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.
Become Certified Electrician Old Orchard Beach Maine
Selecting the ideal electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Become Certified Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Technician Courses Online. But as we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each training program provides different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Old Orchard Beach ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Old Orchard Beach is a town and census-designated place (CDP) in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,624 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland−South Portland−Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Located on the inner side of Saco Bay on the Atlantic Ocean, the town is a popular summer beach destination. The downtown contains many tourist-oriented businesses, including clam shacks and T-shirt shops. A wooden pier on the beach contains many other tourist businesses, including a variety of souvenir shops. The seven mile (11 km) long beach stretching away from the downtown is lined with many beach residential properties, condominiums, motels and bed and breakfasts.[4][5]
The area around the mouth of the Saco and Goosefare rivers was first discovered by European civilizations in the year 1603 by British explorer Martin Pring, although pockets of the Abenaki tribe inhabited the area before Pring's discovery of the region.[6][7]
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