How to Pick the Best Electrician Tech School near Oakland Maine
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Oakland ME. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are so many factors to evaluate. For example, some students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have found some that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though cost and location are important, they are not the only factors that need to be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when picking an electrician training 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 multiple options to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Oakland ME. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are brief summaries of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Maine trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who wish to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by Maine community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Maine colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out before licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Oakland ME can carry out a vast array of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about four to five years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be acquired in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you pick not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes
An option that you might have considered is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools have become more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, internet learning may be a more convenient alternative for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Driving expenses from Oakland ME are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Oakland ME region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Oakland ME program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you acquire a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many 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 considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the program 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 graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Oakland ME grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Oakland ME area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Oakland ME electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Oakland home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Oakland ME, confirm that the programs you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.
Best Trade School For Electrician Oakland Maine
Picking the right electrical training program 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 Best Trade School For Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Best Electrician Courses. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Oakland ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Oakland, Maine
Oakland is a town in Kennebec County in the U.S. state of Maine. The population was 6,240 at the 2010 census.[4] Gateway to the Belgrade Lakes region, Oakland is 4 miles (6 km) west of Waterville and approximately 18 miles (29 km) north of Augusta, the state capital.
Oakland was first settled in about 1780 by colonists of English descent from Massachusetts and New Hampshire. At that time, the region was known as Taconnet after Indian Chief Taconnet, an Abenaki sachem. It was incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court in 1771 as part of Winslow. In 1802, the area west of the Kennebec River was incorporated as Waterville. But manufacturers in the western section, who had created a separate center of industry and trade and were dissatisfied with its taxation, petitioned to have the district set off as a town. The Maine State Legislature complied, and on February 26, 1873 incorporated it as West Waterville. In 1883, it was renamed Oakland, presumably after all the oak trees in the town, though some favored the name Weldon.[5]
Farmers were attracted by the town's fertile soil for cultivation, grazing and dairy farming. Chief crops were hay, fruits and vegetables. Manufacturers were drawn because of the water power provided by the Messalonskee Stream. Before 1800, Jonathan Coombs built a sawmill and gristmill. The Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad arrived in 1849, spurring Oakland to boom as a mill town. With several manufacturers of farm implements, it became known as the axe and scythe capital of New England. Other factories produced canned goods, tinware, carriages, furniture, tools, machinery, woolens, lumber, coffins, leather, boots and shoes. There was a granite quarry. In 1872, Oakland became the southern terminal of the Somerset Railroad, connecting first to North Anson, then to Bingham, and finally to Moosehead Lake.[6] But after economic changes, new businesses replaced the agricultural equipment industry, including Valley Distributors, Industrial Metal Recycling, Charlie's Log Cabin and Wrabacon.
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