Electricians Trade School Rumford ME

How to Choose the Best Electrician Vocational School near Rumford Maine

Rumford ME electrician working on circuit boardThe first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Rumford ME. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are a number of points to evaluate. For instance, many prospective students will start by looking for schools that are close to their residence. After they have identified several that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the sole things that must be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.

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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options

Rumford ME electrician on power line poleThere are several approaches to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near Rumford ME. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most typical programs available.

  • Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Maine vocational and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
  • Associate Degrees require 2 years to finish and are offered by Maine community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Maine colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before 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 Licensing and Certification Criteria

Rumford ME electrician wiring boxElectricians in Rumford ME can undertake a vast array of duties, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally around four to five years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be earned in several specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves 3 levels of proficiency:

  • An experience requirement
  • Passing a written exam
  • Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Programs

Rumford ME student attending electrician school onlineAn alternative that you may have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools have become more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance 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 might be a more convenient choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Driving costs from Rumford ME are also lessened and some of the study materials may be accessed online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Questions to ask Rumford ME electrician schoolsWhen you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Rumford ME area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical tech school.

Accreditation.  A large number of electrician vocational programs have acquired 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 relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Rumford ME school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get a quality education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of 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 considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It might also signify that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly essential 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 validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Rumford ME grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs.  A large number of electrician technical programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Rumford ME area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Rumford ME electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Rumford 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 important that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

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 Rumford ME, verify that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Electricians Trade School Rumford Maine

Rumford ME electricians working on power linesSelecting the right electrician training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electricians Trade School and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Trade School. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Rumford ME.

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    Rumford, Maine

    Originally called New Pennacook Plantation, the township was granted in 1779 to Timothy Walker, Jr. and associates of Concord, New Hampshire. Both Pennacook and Rumford are former names of Concord, from which many early settlers arrived. The first pioneers, however, were Jonathan Keyes and his son Francis in 1782 from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Incorporated in 1800, the town would later annex land from Peru and Franklin Plantation.[4]

    Located in the foothills of the White Mountains, Rumford is the site of Pennacook Falls, called by historian George J. Varney "the grandest cataract in New England," where the Androscoggin River drops 177 feet (54 m) over solid granite. Bands of St. Francis Indians once hunted and fished here, where salmon spawn in the 13-acre (5.3 ha) pool below Upper Falls, a barrier that fish cannot pass. The river is home to a large population of the finless brown variety of trout. Indians also came here to trade furs brought from the lakes region. Sawmills and gristmills were built to harness water power from the falls, although Rumford would remain primarily agricultural during its first 100 years.[5]

    In 1882, industrialist Hugh J. Chisholm recognized the falls' potential for the manufacture of paper. Chisholm directed construction of the Portland and Rumford Falls Railway connecting Rumford to the national rail network in 1892.[6] The first paper mill began operation in 1893, drawing an infusion of people and money into the sleepy community of about 200 residents. Oxford Paper Company, owned by Chisholm, would dominate Rumford's riverfront and economy.[7]

     

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