Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Smithfield ME 04978

How to Become an Electrician in Smithfield Maine

Smithfield ME electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Smithfield 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 so many points to evaluate. For example, some students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their residence. When they have found a few that are within commuting range, they will decide on the one with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that must be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final decision when picking an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are available.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Smithfield ME

Smithfield ME electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple options to get electrician training in a trade or technical school near Smithfield ME. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at a few schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most typical programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Maine technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to complete and are provided by Maine community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Maine colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be carried out prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Requirements

Smithfield ME electricians working on power lines Electricians in Smithfield ME can perform a vast array of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally around four to five years of practical experience is needed in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually assess electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be acquired in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you select not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Schools in Smithfield ME

attending electrician school online in Smithfield ME A possibility that you might have looked at is choosing an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more accommodating alternative for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Commuting costs from Smithfield ME are also minimized and some of the study materials may be available on line as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Smithfield ME electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Smithfield ME region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are other factors that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn 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 Smithfield ME program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It may also indicate that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Smithfield ME graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction 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 electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Smithfield ME area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment 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, talk to the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Smithfield ME electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Smithfield residence. Remember that if you decide to attend 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 get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Smithfield ME, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Smithfield ME?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Smithfield ME area.

Smithfield, Maine

Smithfield is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,033 at the 2010 census. The town was incorporated on February 29, 1840 making it the only town in Maine incorporated on Leap Day.[4] The town was named after the Rev. Henry Smith, an early settler.[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.76 square miles (64.13 km2), of which, 19.90 square miles (51.54 km2) of it is land and 4.86 square miles (12.59 km2) is water.[1]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 1,033 people, 451 households, and 314 families residing in the town. The population density was 51.9 inhabitants per square mile (20.0/km2). There were 727 housing units at an average density of 36.5 per square mile (14.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.6% White, 0.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

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Select the Right Electrician Trade School near Smithfield ME

Selecting the ideal electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Every program provides unique options for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Smithfield ME.