Electrical Maintenance Training Dracut MA

How to Select the Best Electrician Technical School near Dracut Massachusetts

Dracut MA electrician working on circuit boardThe initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Dracut MA. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are a number of variables to evaluate. For instance, many potential students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. After they have located a few that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications that should be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when choosing an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are available.

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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options

Dracut MA electrician on power line poleThere are multiple options to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Dracut MA. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the three most typical programs available.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Massachusetts technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
  • Associate Degrees require two years to complete and are provided by Massachusetts junior or community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Massachusetts colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites

Dracut MA electrician wiring boxElectricians in Dracut MA can perform a multitude of duties, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly around four to five years of experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be acquired in various specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases entails 3 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 trade school that you enroll in not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools

Dracut MA student attending electrician school onlineA possibility that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs 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 convenient alternative for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting expenses from Dracut MA are also reduced and some of the study materials may be available on line also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Questions to ask Dracut MA electrician schoolsOnce you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Dracut MA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical technical school.

Accreditation.  Many electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Dracut MA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you acquire a superior education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates.  Ask the electrician training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It may also suggest that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which may produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Dracut MA grads secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs.  Most electrician technical programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Dracut MA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Dracut MA electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Dracut residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes.   It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one 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 large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling.  Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Dracut MA, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Electrical Maintenance Training Dracut Massachusetts

Dracut MA electricians working on power linesPicking the ideal electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Maintenance Training and wanting more information on the topic Education Required To Be An Electrician. But as we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world context, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Dracut MA.

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    Dracut, Massachusetts

    Before Europeans arrived in the mid-17th century, Dracut and the surrounding area were known as Augumtoocooke. Important Pennacook Indian settlements were served by fishing at Pawtucket Falls on the Merrimack River and abundant game in the surrounding marsh areas.[1] From the late 16th to mid-17th centuries, the powerful sachem Passaconaway and his family spent much of their lives on this land.

    Europeans began to settle in the area around 1653, and established the town of Chelmsford, incorporated in 1655, on the opposite side of the Merrimack River from modern Dracut. In October 1665, Bess, wife of Nobb How and daughter of Passaconaway, sold the Augumtoocooke land to Captain John Evered, also known as Webb of Draucutt of Norfolk County (the Webb family is associated closely with the town of Dreycot Foliat in Wiltshire, England[2]) for four yards of duffill and one pound of tobacco.[1] Webb had months earlier sold 11,000 acres (45 km2) of the land — which he did not then own — to Samuel Varnum for 400 four hundred pounds; the deed for "Drawcutt upon Mirrimack" was dated 1664.[3] Webb also sold land to Richard Shatswell, who traded it to Edward Colburn (also spelled "Coburn" or "Colborne") for his home and land in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Colburn and his family were probably the first settlers in Dracut who owned land with the intention of permanently living on it. (Samuel Varnum lived on the Chelmsford side of the Merrimack River.)[4][5][6]

    Even though this area, now known to the new settlers as Dracut (Draucutt), was across the Merrimack River from the Chelmsford town center, they agreed to pay taxes and relied on Chelmsford for protection, according to 1667 Middlesex Court documents.[7] By summer 1669, however, protection became too costly and difficult, so the Chelmsford Mayor Henchman declared:

     

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