How to Enroll in the Right Electrician Trade School near Kingfield Maine
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Kingfield ME. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are so many variables to evaluate. For example, many students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their home. Once they have found several that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the sole things that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when picking an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are multiple approaches to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Kingfield ME. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are brief descriptions of the 3 most typical programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Maine vocational and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards students who wish to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Maine community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Maine colleges, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Guidelines
Electricians in Kingfield ME can undertake a wide range of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be obtained in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually 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 imperative that the electrician tech school that you pick not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online
An option that you may have considered is choosing an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools have become more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning may be a more convenient choice for individuals that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Driving costs from Kingfield ME are also minimized and some of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Kingfield ME area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Kingfield ME school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you get a quality education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Also, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs 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 may suggest that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also imperative 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 can not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Kingfield ME grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Kingfield ME area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Kingfield ME electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Kingfield home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized 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 big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with some of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Kingfield ME, confirm that the schools you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Electrician College Kingfield Maine
Selecting the ideal electrical trade school 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 Electrician College and wanting more information on the topic How Long To Become A Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training program that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers unique options for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you choose 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 Kingfield ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Kingfield, Maine
Kingfield is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 997 at the 2010 census. Kingfield is the principal gateway to Sugarloaf, a major ski resort, and is headquarters to Maine Huts and Trails.
The first recorded European visitors were John W. Dutton and Nathaniel Kimball in 1805. They returned the following year with their families and began a settlement. In 1807, William King (later to be Maine’s first Governor) purchased the township as part of the Bigham Plantation. In 1816 Kingfield was incorporated as the 210th town in the Maine District of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Salomon Stanley was one of the earliest town settlers. His twin sons, Francis Edgar (F.E.) and Freelan Oscar (F.O.) became famous as manufacturers of Stanley Dry Plate, bought in 1903 by Eastman Kodak, and the Stanley Steamer automobile, manufactured from 1902-1924. Their sister, Chansonetta, became a photographer renowned for her portraits of local rural life. The Stanley Museum celebrates the family and its accomplishments.
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