How to Select the Best Electrician Trade School near Thorndike Maine
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Thorndike ME. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are a number of points to evaluate. For example, 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 pick the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the only things that must be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are offered.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are several approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Thorndike ME. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are short explanations of the 3 most prevalent programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Maine technical and trade schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take 2 years to finish and are provided by Maine junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Maine colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Thorndike ME can perform a vast array of functions, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly around four to five years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be obtained in numerous specialties, including 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you select not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Schools Online
An alternative that you might have considered is selecting an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more accommodating option for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Driving expenses from Thorndike ME are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Once you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Thorndike ME area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other variables that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Thorndike ME school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a superior education, it can assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Also, some states require 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate may indicate that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It could also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Thorndike ME graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Thorndike ME area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable 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. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Thorndike ME electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Thorndike residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Thorndike ME, confirm that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
Electrician Certification Classes Thorndike Maine
Selecting the right electrical training program 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 Electrician Certification Classes and wanting more information on the topic Electric Course. But as we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrical training program that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to 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 curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best satisfy your needs. Every program offers unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Thorndike ME.
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Thorndike, Maine
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 25.26 square miles (65.42 km2), all of it land.[1] The town is drained by Halfmoon Stream. The town is crossed by state routes SR 220 and SR 139.
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 890 people, 330 households, and 232 families residing in the town. The population density was 35.2 inhabitants per square mile (13.6/km2). There were 396 housing units at an average density of 15.7 per square mile (6.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.5% White, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.
There were 330 households of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.7% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.16.
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