How to Select the Right Electrician Technical School near Winterport Maine
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Winterport ME. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are so many factors to consider. For instance, some prospective students will commence by searching for schools that are close to their home. Once they have identified several that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the only things 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 help mold your final decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are accessible.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are three general ways to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Winterport ME. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are brief descriptions of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Maine technical and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards those who would like to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to finish and are offered by Maine community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Maine colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Winterport ME can perform a vast array of services, such as 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 the majority of municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge 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 can be acquired in many specialties, 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you choose not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
A possibility that you may have looked at is selecting an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more accommodating option for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Commuting costs from Winterport ME are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online also. All of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
When you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Winterport ME area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are additional factors that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Winterport ME program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it 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 of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate may signify that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It could also signify that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Winterport ME grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Winterport ME area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Winterport ME electrical contractor if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Winterport residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to several of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Winterport ME, check that the schools you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.
Electrical Trade Schools Winterport Maine
Picking the best electrician trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Trade Schools and wanting more information on the topic Vocational School Electrician. But as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification also. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Winterport ME.
More Electric Locations in Maine
Winterport, Maine
First settled in 1766 as part of Frankfort, it was set off and incorporated on March 12, 1860.[5] It was named Winterport because of its fine harbor on the Penobscot River estuary, which generally remained ice free, and so became a busy local terminus for trade and shipping during winter months. When the upper Penobscot River froze, commodities like flour were hauled in large quantities from here to Bangor.[6]
In 1841, Theophilus Cushing opened a large steam mill which manufactured 11,000,000 feet of lumber annually. It also made sugar box shooks, lath, clapboard, and soap and candle boxes. The town had two cooperage factories. Other industries produced harnesses, cheese and butter, and men's vests. Until the Panic of 1857, Winterport was a shipbuilding center. But the principal business for most of the town was agriculture.[7]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 37.05 square miles (95.96 km2), of which, 35.52 square miles (92.00 km2) of it is land and 1.53 square miles (3.96 km2) is water.[2] Drained by the Marsh River, Winterport is bounded by the Penobscot River.
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