How to Find the Right Electrician Trade School near Canton Maine
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Canton ME. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to examine. For example, some students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have located several that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. Although location and cost are important, they are not the only things that need to be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final decision when picking an electrician school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are available.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs
There are multiple approaches to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Canton ME. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the three most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Maine trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Maine junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Maine colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Canton ME can perform a wide range of tasks, 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 period of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be earned in numerous specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails 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 crucial that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online
An option that you may have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning can be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Driving costs from Canton ME are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Canton ME region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional factors that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade schools have acquired 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 an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Canton ME school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive a quality education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It might also indicate that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Canton ME graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Canton ME area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Canton ME electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within driving distance of your Canton residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized 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 see how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Canton ME, check that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.
Electricians Trade School Canton Maine
Choosing the ideal electrical trade school will undoubtedly 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 discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Canton ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Canton, Maine
Canton Point was the site of Rockemeka, village of the Anasagunticook (or Androscoggin) Abenaki Indians. It is said the tribe had 500 acres (2.0 km2) cleared to raise corn. By 1757 the tribe population was devastated by smallpox.
The land became part of a grant the Massachusetts General Court awarded to Captain Joseph Phipps and 63 other soldiers for their services during the French and Indian War. Called Phipps-Canada, it would be incorporated in 1795 as Jay in honor of John Jay, the first chief justice of the U. S. Supreme Court. On February 5, 1821, Canton was set off from Jay and incorporated, named after Canton, Massachusetts.[4]
Settlement began in the early 1790s when William Livermore, William French, Joseph Coolidge and Alexander Shepherd arrived. Others followed, principally from Massachusetts. The surface of the town is uneven in the outskirts, but smooth and level at Canton Point, where the soil was considered unsurpassed in the state for agriculture. The outlet of Lake Anasagunticook provided water power for industry. Gustavus Hayford settled here in 1814. In addition to a log cabin, he built a sawmill and gristmill. First called Hayford Mills, it would be renamed Canton Mills, and now Canton. In the 19th century, it had a machine shop to manufacture farm implements, a tinware factory and an iron foundry.[5] It remains the business center. The Rumford Branch of the Maine Central Railroad passed through the town in the late 1850s, carrying freight but also tourists. The community developed as a resort area for camping.[6]
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