How to Become an Electrician in Addison Maine
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Addison ME. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of points to consider. For example, many prospective students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have found a few that are within driving distance, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole things that need to be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should help mold your ultimate decision when picking an electrician training school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are offered.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Addison ME
There are three general options to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Addison ME. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are brief explanations of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically offered by Maine vocational and trade schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards those who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to complete and are offered by Maine community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Maine colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out before licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites
Electricians in Addison ME can perform a multitude of functions, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of experience is called for in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually assess electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be acquired in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases entails 3 levels of competency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools in Addison ME
An alternative that you may have contemplated is selecting an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more practical option for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Travelling expenses from Addison ME are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Once you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Addison ME region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications 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 a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are additional variables that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical programs have attained 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 relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Addison ME school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive a quality education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many 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 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 suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It could also mean that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Addison ME graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Addison ME area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing 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 school 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, check with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Addison ME electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Addison home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in 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 receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger 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 instructors. Speak to several of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Addison ME, check that the programs you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Addison ME?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Addison ME area.
Addison, Maine
The earliest white settlers in Addison were from Martha's Vineyard. They were looking for richer farmlands, cod, and good meadow grass for their cattle. Some of the earliest permanent settlers of whom we have any knowledge were William Hix, Wilmont Wass, Moses Plummer, Seth Norton, Richard Samuel Coffin, Daniel Look and John Nash,Tilly White of Lancaster, Massachusetts, with most arriving in 1767. Addison was settled about 1779 and was organized as a plantation, known as "Number Six West of Machias". It was then called Pleasant River and also "Englishman's River". It was incorporated as a town on February 14, 1797, and named in honor of the English writer, Joseph Addison. The Bangor Historical Magazine gives the entire number of inhabitants as 213 on April 27, 1778. It has been said that "practically all the residents of Addison are descendants in one way or another of the Vineyard Settlers."
The town itself spreads over a large area and includes many islands, coves and headlands. In the late 19th century and into the 20th century there were manufacturing plants including clam, sardine, blueberry and lobster canneries. None of these are in existence at the present time. Today Addison is mainly a fishing port with lobsters, scallops, clams, periwinkles and mussels as the principal catches.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 100.47 square miles (260.22 km2), of which, 42.44 square miles (109.92 km2) of it is land and 58.03 square miles (150.30 km2) is water.[1]
Find the Right Electrician Tech School near Addison ME
Picking the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Addison ME.
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