How to Pick the Right Electrician Tech School near South Freeport Maine
The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near South Freeport ME. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of variables to consider. For instance, many prospective students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have located a few that are within commuting distance, they will select the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are significant, they are not the sole factors that must be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are multiple options to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near South Freeport ME. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you would like to become certified. Bellow are brief summaries of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Maine trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who wish to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require two years to complete and are provided by Maine community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Maine colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Therefore, most students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in South Freeport ME can carry out a vast array of functions, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to 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 usually about 4 to 5 years of experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves three 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 vocational school that you choose not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Training Classes
A possibility that you might have considered is selecting an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs have become more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the balance 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 an added benefit numerous online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Driving expenses from South Freeport ME are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online also. All of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the South Freeport ME region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications 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 a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are other factors that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the South Freeport ME program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you acquire an excellent education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are looking at 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 could signify that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also signify that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory 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 affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist South Freeport ME grads secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with South Freeport ME area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local South Freeport ME electrical company if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your South Freeport home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near South Freeport ME, check that the programs you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
I Want To Become An Electrician South Freeport Maine
Selecting the right electrical training program 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 I Want To Become An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic How Do I Become An Electrician. But as we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are examining includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every program provides different options for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in South Freeport ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Freeport, Maine
Freeport is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,879 at the 2010 census. Known for its numerous outlet stores, Freeport is home to L.L. Bean, Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park, and the Desert of Maine.
The town was once a part of North Yarmouth called Harraseeket, after the Harraseeket River. First settled about 1700, it was set off and incorporated on February 14, 1789 as Freeport. It is probably named "from the openness of its harbor" (free from ice).[4] Freeport developed as four villages—Mast Landing, Porter's Landing, South Freeport and Freeport Corner—all of which are now part of the Harraseeket Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
At the head of tide on the Harraseeket River is Mast Landing, from which timber was shipped, particularly for use as masts. The estuary was dammed to provide water power for a gristmill, sawmill and fulling mill, with modest manufacturing and woodworking.[4] Porter's Landing was involved in shipbuilding, important in Freeport following the Revolutionary War. The industry reached its peak in the decade between 1850 and 1860, but declined with the Civil War.[5] South Freeport, the largest of the waterfront villages, once had four shipyards. Other businesses included fishing, canning and farming. In 1903, the Casco Castle and Amusement Park was built here by Amos Gerald to encourage travel by trolley cars. The hotel burned in 1914, but its tower still stands. Freeport Corner was an inland village for farming and trade, but the 1849 entrance of the railroad helped it develop into the town's commercial center, which it remains. In the 19th century, fabric was sent from New York and Boston to be made into clothing by local piece workers. Businessman E. B. Mallet established here a sawmill, brickyard, granite quarry and large shoe factory.[6]
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