Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Bethesda MD 20813

How to Become an Electrician in Bethesda Maryland

Bethesda MD electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Bethesda MD. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are a number of factors to examine. For instance, many prospective students will start by looking for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have identified some that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the sole things that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final judgment when selecting an electrician school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Bethesda MD

Bethesda MD electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Bethesda MD. You can enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are brief explanations of the three most typical programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically offered by Maryland technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees involve two years to complete and are offered by Maryland community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain Maryland institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be performed before licensing. Therefore, most students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Criteria

Bethesda MD electricians working on power lines Electricians in Bethesda MD can undertake a wide range of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about four to five years of prior experience is called for in order to take the licensing examination. The exams typically evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be earned in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves three levels of proficiency:

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 crucial that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might need to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online in Bethesda MD

attending electrician school online in Bethesda MD An alternative that you might have considered is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs have become more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning can be a more practical alternative for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Driving costs from Bethesda MD are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Bethesda MD electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Bethesda MD region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other variables that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Bethesda MD program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you obtain a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. 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 schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate might indicate that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It could also mean that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to use 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 field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Bethesda MD graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Bethesda MD area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school 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 currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Bethesda MD electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Bethesda home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be higher 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 observe how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Bethesda MD, check that the programs you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Bethesda MD?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Bethesda MD area.

Bethesda, Maryland

Bethesda is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, located just northwest of the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda.[2] In Aramaic, ܒܝܬ ܚܣܕܐ beth ḥesda means "House of Mercy" and in Hebrew, בית חסד‬ "beit ḥesed" means "House of Kindness". The National Institutes of Health main campus and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center are in Bethesda, as are a number of corporate and government headquarters.

As an unincorporated community, Bethesda has no official boundaries. The United States Census Bureau defines a census-designated place named Bethesda whose center is located at 38°59′N 77°7′W / 38.983°N 77.117°W / 38.983; -77.117. The United States Geological Survey has defined Bethesda as an area whose center is at 38°58′50″N 77°6′2″W / 38.98056°N 77.10056°W / 38.98056; -77.10056, slightly different from the Census Bureau's definition. Other definitions are used by the Bethesda Urban Planning District, the United States Postal Service (which defines Bethesda to comprise the zip codes 20810, 20811, 20813, 20814, 20815, 20816, and 20817), and other organizations. According to estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2013, the community had a total population of 63,374. Most of Bethesda's residents are in Maryland Legislative District 16.

Bethesda is situated along a major thoroughfare that was originally the route of an ancient Native American trail. Henry Fleet (1602-1661), an English fur trader, was the first European to travel to the area, which he reached by sailing up the Potomac River. After staying for several years (1623–27) with the Piscataway tribe — variously as a guest or prisoner — he returned to England, spoke of potential riches in fur and gold, and won funding for another North American expedition.[5]

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Select the Right Electrical Vocational School near Bethesda MD

Choosing the ideal electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers different possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Bethesda MD.