Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Edgewood MD 21040

How to Become an Electrician in Edgewood Maryland

Edgewood MD electrician inspecting circuit panelThe first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Edgewood MD. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are a number of factors to examine. For instance, some students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have found several that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the only factors that must be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should contribute toward your ultimate decision when picking an electrician school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are offered.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Edgewood MD

Edgewood MD electrician re-wiring power outletThere are several options to obtain electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Edgewood MD. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as common as the first three options. Often these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Following are short explanations of the three most common programs available.

  • Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Maryland trade and technical schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
  • Associate Degree Programs require two years to finish and are provided by Maryland community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Maryland colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. For that reason, the majority of students are anxious to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements

Edgewood MD electricians working on power linesElectricians in Edgewood MD can perform a wide range of duties, such as 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 required to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be earned in several specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you choose not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online in Edgewood MD

attending electrician school online in Edgewood MDAn option that you may have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more accommodating choice for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Driving costs from Edgewood MD are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Edgewood MD electrician re-wiring circuit panelOnce you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Edgewood MD region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical tech school.

Accreditation.  Many electrician technical schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Edgewood MD 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 obtain an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, some states require that the electrician training program 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also indicate that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Edgewood MD graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs.  A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Edgewood MD area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to form 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 working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Edgewood MD electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Edgewood home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes.   It’s important that you get as much individualized training 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 see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling.  Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Edgewood MD, check that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Edgewood MD?

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

Edgewood, Maryland

Edgewood is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Harford County, Maryland, United States. The population was 25,562 at the 2010 census,[1] up from 23,378 at the 2000 census.

Edgewood is located in southwestern Harford County at 39°25′49″N 76°18′20″W / 39.43028°N 76.30556°W / 39.43028; -76.30556 (39.430275, -76.305555).[3] It is bordered to the west by Joppatowne, to the north by Bel Air South, to the east by the Bush River, an arm of Chesapeake Bay, to the south by the Edgewood Arsenal portion of Aberdeen Proving Ground, and to the southwest by the tidal Gunpowder River, another arm of the Chesapeake.

Interstate 95 forms the northern border of the Edgewood CDP and provides access from Exit 74 (Maryland Route 152) and Exit 77 (Maryland Route 24). I-95 leads southwest 25 miles (40 km) to Baltimore and northeast 50 miles (80 km) to Wilmington, Delaware. U.S. Route 40 (Pulaski Highway) runs through the northern part of Edgewood, parallel to I-95. US 40 leads southwest 9 miles (14 km) to White Marsh and the same distance northeast to Aberdeen. Maryland Route 24 begins at an entrance to Aberdeen Proving Ground in the southern part of the CDP and leads 10 miles (16 km) north to Bel Air, the Harford County seat.

The location could not be found.

Find the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Edgewood MD

Selecting the best electrical training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrical training that you are considering includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each program provides different options for certification as well. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. 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 best one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Edgewood MD.

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