How to Become an Electrician in Bass Harbor Maine
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Bass Harbor ME. But with so many vocational schools to choose from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are a number of points to evaluate. For instance, some potential students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. After they have found several that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the only qualifications that need to be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are offered.
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Bass Harbor ME
There are several ways to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Bass Harbor ME. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Bellow are short summaries of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Maine trade and technical schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards students who want to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are provided by Maine community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some Maine institutions, but are less popular at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be completed before licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Bass Harbor ME can perform a multitude of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically assess general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be earned in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails three 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Training Classes in Bass Harbor ME
A possibility that you might have contemplated is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more practical option for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Travelling costs from Bass Harbor ME are also minimized and some of the study materials can be available on line also. All of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Bass Harbor ME area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research prior to selecting an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Numerous electrician trade schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Bass Harbor ME school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order 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 lower completion rate might indicate that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It could also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Bass Harbor ME grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training 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 within their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Bass Harbor ME area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Bass Harbor ME electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Bass Harbor residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Bass Harbor ME, verify that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Bass Harbor ME?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Bass Harbor ME area.
Bass Harbor, Maine
Bass Harbor (also McKinley) is a village in Hancock County, Maine, United States. It is within the town of Tremont on Mount Desert Island, and near Acadia National Park. With its well-protected natural harbor, it ranks as one of the most lucrative lobster-producing ports in the state. Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse lies at the mouth of the harbor. The village is terminal for both the Swans Island ferry and Frenchboro ferry.
Bass Harbor was once known as McKinley. In the early 1900s, when a post office was built in the village, federal officials asked what the post office should be named. Someone remarked, "Name it after the president for all we care." The post office was named McKinley, and the village was known as McKinley until 1961 when residents petitioned to change the name back to Bass Harbor.[1]
Bass Harbor is most famous for its Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. The lighthouse was built because of an annual report by the Lighthouse Board,[3] declaring that ships required a light to assist them in entering the harbor.
Enroll in the Right Electrical Technical School near Bass Harbor ME
Picking the ideal electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Every training program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps the best approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Bass Harbor ME.
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