How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Trade School near Stratton Maine
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Stratton ME. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are a number of points to evaluate. For instance, many potential students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their home. When they have located a few that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are important, they are not the sole things that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should help mold your final decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are several approaches to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Stratton ME. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are brief explanations of the 3 most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by Maine vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take two years to finish and are offered by Maine junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Maine institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Stratton ME can perform a wide range of duties, such as 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 become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally about four to five years of experience is called for before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be obtained in several specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you pick not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools
An alternative that you might have looked at is choosing an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs have become more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more convenient alternative for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Commuting costs from Stratton ME are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be available online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Stratton ME area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional factors that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Stratton ME school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get a superior education, it may assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate might signify that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It might also suggest that the teachers were not competent 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 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 can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Stratton ME students obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Stratton ME area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Stratton ME electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Stratton residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to several of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Stratton ME, verify that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.
Electrical Technician Course Stratton Maine
Selecting the best electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Technician Course and wanting more information on the topic Electrical School Online. But as we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps the best 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 monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Stratton ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
General Tom Thumb
Charles Sherwood Stratton (January 4, 1838 – July 15, 1883), better known by his stage name "General Tom Thumb", was a dwarf who achieved great fame as a performer under circus pioneer P.T. Barnum.[1]
Stratton was the son of a Bridgeport, Connecticut, carpenter named Sherwood Edward Stratton, son of Seth Sherwood Stratton and Amy Sharpe. Sherwood married his first cousin Cynthia Thompson, daughter of Joseph Thompson and Mary Ann Sharpe. Charles Stratton's maternal and paternal grandmothers, Amy and Mary Ann Sharpe, were stated to be small twin girls born on July 11, 1781/83 in Oxford, New Haven, Connecticut.
Born in Bridgeport to parents who were of medium height, Charles was a relatively large baby, weighing 9 pounds 8 ounces (4.3 kg) at birth.[2] He developed and grew normally for the first six months of his life, at which point he was 25 inches (64 cm) tall and weighed 15 pounds (6.8 kg). Then he suddenly stopped growing. His parents became concerned when, after his first birthday, they noticed he had not grown at all in the previous six months. They showed him to their doctor, who said there was little chance Charles would ever reach normal height.
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