How to Become an Electrician in Garland Maine
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Garland ME. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are a number of variables to consider. For example, many students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have located several that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the sole things that should be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should help mold your final judgment when selecting an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are available.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Garland ME
There are three general options to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Garland ME. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Bellow are short explanations of the 3 most prevalent programs available.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Maine trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards those who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs require two years to complete and are provided by Maine community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Maine colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines
Electricians in Garland ME can carry out a wide range of functions, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly around four to five years of practical experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be acquired in various specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves 3 levels of competency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online in Garland ME
An alternative that you might have contemplated is choosing an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. 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. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, internet learning can be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Driving costs from Garland ME are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Garland ME area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are additional variables that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research before selecting an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Garland ME school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it 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 or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It might 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 more extensive directory of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Garland ME grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Garland ME area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained 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 concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Garland 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 Garland home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Garland ME, check that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Garland ME?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Garland ME area.
Judy Garland
Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American singer, actress, dancer and vaudevillian. During a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage.[1][2] Respected for her versatility, she received a juvenile Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Special Tony Award, and was the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for her live recording Judy at Carnegie Hall (1961).
As a child, Garland began performing in vaudeville with her two older sisters, and later signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as a teenager. She made more than two dozen films with MGM and is known for playing Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Garland was a frequent on-screen partner of both Mickey Rooney and Gene Kelly, and regularly collaborated with director and husband Vincente Minnelli. Other film roles with MGM include appearances in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), The Harvey Girls (1946), Easter Parade (1948), (with Fred Astaire) and Summer Stock (1950). Garland was released from MGM in 1950, after 15 years with the studio, amid a series of personal struggles and erratic behavior that prevented her from fulfilling the terms of her contract.
Her film appearances diminished, but she would thereafter go on to receive two Academy Award nominations for her performances in A Star Is Born (1954) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). She also made record-breaking concert appearances, released eight studio albums, and hosted her own Emmy-nominated television series, The Judy Garland Show (1963–1964). At age 39, Garland became the youngest and first female recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the film industry. In 1997, Garland was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Several of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 1999, the American Film Institute placed her among the 10 greatest female stars of classic American cinema.[3]
Select the Right Electrician Tech School near Garland ME
Picking the ideal electrician training program 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 things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a necessity 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 personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Every training program provides different options for certification as well. Probably the best approach to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk 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 program you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Garland ME.
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