How to Become an Electrician in Exeter Maine
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Exeter ME. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are a number of factors to consider. For instance, some students will start by looking for schools that are close to their residence. After they have identified some that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are important, they are not the sole factors that need to be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are available.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Exeter ME
There are multiple ways to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Exeter ME. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are short explanations of the 3 most typical programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically provided by Maine trade and technical schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take two years to finish and are provided by Maine community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Maine colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Exeter ME can perform a wide range of duties, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally around 4 to 5 years of prior experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be acquired in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes three 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 crucial that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online in Exeter ME
A possibility that you may have looked at is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning may be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Driving expenses from Exeter ME are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Once you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Exeter ME area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed 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 while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional factors that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may 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 certain that the Exeter ME school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering 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 program and dropped out. It might also mean that the instructors were not qualified 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 more extensive list of graduates, which can 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 trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Exeter ME students acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Exeter ME area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Exeter ME electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Exeter home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the instructors and learn 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 fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Exeter ME, confirm that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Exeter ME?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Exeter ME area.
Exeter Book
The Exeter Book, Exeter Cathedral Library MS 3501, also known as the Codex Exoniensis, is a tenth-century[1]book or codex which is an anthology of Anglo-Saxon poetry. It is one of the four major Anglo-Saxon literature codices, along with the Vercelli Book, Nowell Codex and the Cædmon manuscript or MS Junius 11. The book was donated to the library of Exeter Cathedral by Leofric, the first bishop of Exeter, in 1072. It is believed originally to have contained 131 leaves, of which the first 8 have been replaced with other leaves; the original first 8 pages are lost. The Exeter Book is the largest known collection of Old English literature still in existence.
The Exeter Book is generally acknowledged to be one of the great works of the English Benedictine revival of the tenth century; the precise dates that it was written and compiled are unknown, although proposed dates range from 960 to 990. This period saw a rise in monastic activity and productivity under the renewed influence of Benedictine principles and standards. At the opening of the period, Dunstan's importance to the Church and to the English kingdom was established, culminating in his appointment to the Archbishopric at Canterbury under Edgar and leading to the monastic reformation by which this era was characterised. Dunstan died in 998, and by the period's close, England under Æthelred faced an increasingly determined Scandinavian incursion, to which it would eventually succumb.
The Exeter Book's heritage becomes traceable from 1072, when Leofric, Bishop at Exeter, died.[3] Among the treasures which he is recorded to have bestowed in his Will upon the then-impoverished monastery, is one famously described as "mycel Englisc boc be gehwilcum þingum on leoð-wisan geworht" (i.e., "a large English book of poetic works about all sorts of things"). This book has been widely assumed to be the Exeter Codex as it survives today.
Pick the Ideal Electrician Technical School near Exeter ME
Picking the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers different possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Exeter ME.
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