How to Become an Electrician in Frankfort Maine
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Frankfort ME. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly since there are so many variables to consider. For example, many students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have found a few that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. Even though cost and location are important, they are not the sole qualifications that need to be considered. Also important 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 final judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are offered.
Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Frankfort ME
There are several options to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Frankfort ME. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most common programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by Maine trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take two years to complete and are provided by Maine junior or community colleges, usually 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 mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Maine institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Frankfort ME can carry out a wide range of services, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure 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 generally around four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually assess electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be acquired in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you select not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Programs Online in Frankfort ME
An option that you might have contemplated is choosing an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more practical choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting costs from Frankfort ME are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be available online also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Now that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Frankfort ME area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Frankfort ME program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you obtain an excellent education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It might also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Frankfort ME grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Frankfort ME area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain 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 currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Frankfort ME electrical contractor if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Frankfort residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Frankfort ME, check that the schools you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Frankfort ME?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Frankfort ME area.
Frankfort, Maine
Frankfort is the oldest town on the Penobscot River, first settled in the 1760s by Massachusetts soldiers from nearby Fort Pownall. With the end of the French and Indian War, the Penobscot Valley became part of New England, and more specifically Massachusetts, leading to the first cautious encroachments by English-speaking settlers on the lands of the Penobscot Indians. This process, which would begin in Frankfort, would end with the founding of Bangor, Brewer, Orono, Old Town and other inland settlements, and the eventual restriction of the Penobscot people to their major village at "Indian Old Town", or the present Penobscot Indian Reservation.
Today's Frankfort is just a small portion of the original town, which contained the present-day towns of Frankfort, Winterport, Stockton Springs, and Prospect. Ft. Pownall was thus in Frankfort, and the town's major village was what is now Winterport. Frankfort was a logical place for settlement not only because Verona Island commanded the approach up the river, but because the river above the town froze during the winter, making this the last ice-free port as one ascended — hence the name "Winterport".
A British fleet anchored off Frankfort in 1814 on its way to sack Bangor and Hampden. The British confiscated provisions from the town and took one ship. The town suffered greatly during the War of 1812 as the British blockade destroyed the coasting trade on which it depended.
Enroll in the Right Electrician Tech School near Frankfort ME
Picking the ideal electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each training program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Frankfort ME.
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