Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Bowie MD 20715

How to Become an Electrician in Bowie Maryland

Bowie MD electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Bowie MD. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are so many variables to consider. For instance, many students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their home. When they have identified some that are within commuting distance, they will select the one with the least expensive tuition. Although cost and location are significant, they are not the only qualifications that need to be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your final judgment when selecting an electrician trade school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are available.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Programs near Bowie MD

Bowie MD electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general options to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Bowie MD. You may select a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the 3 most typical programs offered.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Maryland trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards those who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are provided by Maryland community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more comprehensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Maryland institutions, but are less favored at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Guidelines

Bowie MD electricians working on power lines Electricians in Bowie MD can perform a wide range of tasks, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically around four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to differentiate him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be obtained in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you choose not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online in Bowie MD

attending electrician school online in Bowie MD An alternative that you may have considered is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs have become more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning may be a more practical option for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting costs from Bowie MD are also lessened and some of the study materials may be available on line also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Bowie MD electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Bowie MD region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other factors that must be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. Many electrician trade programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Bowie MD school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you get a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved 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 of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It could also mean that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader 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 field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Bowie MD graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Bowie MD area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Bowie MD electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Bowie residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise 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 attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Bowie MD, confirm that the programs you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Bowie MD?

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

Bowie, Maryland

Bowie /ˈbuːi/ is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland.[5] The population was 54,727 at the 2010 U.S. Census. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous city[6] and third largest city by area in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2014 CNN Money ranked Bowie 28th in its Best Places to Live in America list.[7]

The city of Bowie owes its existence to the railway. In 1853, Colonel William Duckett Bowie obtained a charter from the Maryland legislature to construct a rail line into Southern Maryland. In 1869, the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad Company began the construction of a railroad from Baltimore to Southern Maryland, terminating in Pope's Creek. The area had already been dotted with small farms and large tobacco plantations in an economy based on agriculture and slavery. In 1870, Ben Plumb, a land speculator and developer, sold building lots around the railroad junction and named the settlement Huntington City. By 1872, the line was completed, together with a "spur" to Washington, D.C. and the entire line through Southern Maryland was completed in 1873.

In 1880, Huntington City was rechartered as Bowie, named for Colonel Bowie's son and business partner Oden Bowie,[8][9][10][11] the former Governor of Maryland[12] and then-president of the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad.[13] In the early days the land was subdivided by developers into more than 500 residential building lots, to create a large town site at a junction of the Baltimore and Potomac's main line to southern Maryland, and the branch line to Washington, D.C.

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Choose the Right Electrical Vocational School near Bowie MD

Selecting the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are reviewing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides unique options for certification also. Probably The ideal approach 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 sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Bowie MD.