How to Select the Best Electrician Tech School near Kennebunkport Maine
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Kennebunkport ME. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are a number of factors to examine. For example, many students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their home. After they have identified some that are within commuting distance, they will select the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the sole factors that need to be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final decision when selecting an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are available.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are three general options to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Kennebunkport ME. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Often these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are short explanations of the 3 most typical programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Maine vocational and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who would like to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are offered by Maine junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Maine colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be completed before licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines
Electricians in Kennebunkport ME can carry out a multitude of duties, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually around four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically test electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in numerous specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves three levels of competency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
An option that you may have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools have become more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Commuting costs from Kennebunkport ME are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available on line also. Each of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
When you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Kennebunkport ME region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Kennebunkport ME program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states mandate 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 percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, 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 trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Kennebunkport ME students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Kennebunkport ME area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job 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 working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Kennebunkport ME electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Kennebunkport home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Kennebunkport ME, verify that the programs you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Electrical Technician Schools Kennebunkport Maine
Selecting the right electrical training program 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 Electrical Technician Schools and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Training Requirements. But as we have covered in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Kennebunkport ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,474 people at the 2010 census.[4] It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford metropolitan statistical area.
The town center, the area in and around Dock Square, is located along the Kennebunk River, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from the mouth of the river on the Atlantic Ocean. Historically a shipbuilding and fishing village, for well over a century the town has been a popular summer colony and seaside tourist destination. The Dock Square area has a district of souvenir shops, art galleries, seafood restaurants, and bed and breakfasts. Cape Porpoise, while retaining its identity as a fishing harbor, has a very small village area with several restaurants, a church, grocery store, coffee shop, small library, and art gallery. Kennebunkport has a reputation as a summer haven for the upper class and is one of the wealthiest communities in the state of Maine.
Kennebunkport was first incorporated in 1663 as Cape Porpus, subject to the government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820 as part of the Missouri Compromise). Due to Indian depredations, the town was depopulated by 1689, and not resettled by Europeans again until the early 18th century. The town was renamed Arundel, and the town center located inland at Burbank Hill. In 1821 the town was renamed again, this time to Kennebunkport in reflection to its economy becoming one of shipbuilding and trade along the Kennebunk River.[6]
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