How to Choose the Right Electrician Training School near Silver Spring Maryland
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Silver Spring MD. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many points to evaluate. For example, some students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their residence. After they have located a few that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the only factors that must be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate decision when selecting an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are offered.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are multiple ways to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Silver Spring MD. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. In many cases these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the three most typical programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by Maryland technical and trade schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Maryland community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Maryland colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Silver Spring MD can undertake a vast array of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but commonly about four to five years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be acquired in various specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually includes 3 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 important that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
An alternative that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more practical alternative for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting costs from Silver Spring MD are also lessened and some of the study materials may be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your training options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Silver Spring MD area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Silver Spring MD school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you acquire a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Also, many states require that the electrician training course 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 percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may indicate that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It could also mean that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Silver Spring MD students obtain apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Silver Spring MD area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure 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 in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Silver Spring MD electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Silver Spring residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications 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 are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Silver Spring MD, verify that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.
Become Electrician Silver Spring Maryland
Choosing the best electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Become Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Certification Training. But as we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Silver Spring MD.
More Electric Locations in Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located inside the Capital Beltway in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 79,483, according to the 2017 official estimate by the United States Census Bureau,[3] making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown, and the second largest in Montgomery County after Germantown.[4] Inner Silver Spring consists of the following neighborhoods: Downtown Silver Spring, East Silver Spring, Woodside, North Woodside, Woodside Park, North Hills Sligo Park, Long Branch, Montgomery Knolls, Franklin Knolls, Indian Spring Terrace, Indian Spring Village, Clifton Park Village, New Hampshire Estates, Oakview, and Woodmoor. Outer Silver Spring consist of the following neighborhoods: Four Corners, Wheaton, Glenmont, Forest Glen, Aspen Hill, Hillandale, White Oak, Colesville, Colesville Park, Cloverly, Calverton, Briggs Chaney, Greencastle, Northwood Park, Sunset Terrace, Fairland, Lyttonsville, and Kemp Mill.
The urbanized, oldest, and southernmost part of Silver Spring is a major business hub that lies at the north apex of Washington, D.C. As of 2004, the Central Business District (CBD) held 7,254,729 square feet (673,986 m2) of office space, 5216 dwelling units and 17.6 acres (71,000 m2) of parkland. The population density of this CBD area of Silver Spring was 15,600 per square mile all within 360 acres (1.5 km2) and approximately 2.5 square miles (6 km2) in the CBD/downtown area.[5] The community has recently undergone a significant renaissance, with the addition of major retail, residential, and office developments.
Silver Spring takes its name from a mica-flecked spring discovered there in 1840, by Francis Preston Blair, who subsequently bought much of the surrounding land. Acorn Park, tucked away in an area of south Silver Spring away from the main downtown area, is believed to be the site of the original spring.[6][7][8][9][10]
Business Results 1 - 10 of 446
180 Reviews 
71 Reviews 
38 Reviews 
17 Reviews 
7 Reviews 
18 Reviews 
37 Reviews 
5 Reviews 
12 Reviews 
19 Reviews 