Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Gaithersburg MD 20877

How to Become an Electrician in Gaithersburg Maryland

Gaithersburg MD electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Gaithersburg MD. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to consider. For instance, many students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. When they have identified several that are within driving range, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. Even though location and cost are of importance, they are not the only things that should be examined. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are available.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Gaithersburg MD

Gaithersburg MD electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general options to obtain electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Gaithersburg MD. You can enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are short summaries of the 3 most common programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Maryland trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to finish and are provided by Maryland community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Maryland institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Most states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be performed prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria

Gaithersburg MD electricians working on power lines Electricians in Gaithersburg MD can carry out a vast array of services, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally about 4 to 5 years of experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be acquired in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves three 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 imperative that the electrician tech school that you select not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs in Gaithersburg MD

attending electrician school online in Gaithersburg MD A possibility that you may have looked at is choosing an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools have become more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, internet learning might be a more convenient alternative for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Driving expenses from Gaithersburg MD are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician vocational schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.

Points to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Gaithersburg MD electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Gaithersburg MD region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Gaithersburg MD school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire a quality education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage 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 might also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Gaithersburg MD students acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician vocational 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 inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Gaithersburg MD area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional 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 using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Gaithersburg MD electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Gaithersburg home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one training 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. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Gaithersburg MD, 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 permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Gaithersburg MD?

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

Gaithersburg, Maryland

Gaithersburg ( pronunciation (help·info)), officially the City of Gaithersburg, is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland. At the time of the 2010 U.S. Census, Gaithersburg had a population of 59,933, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville.[6] Gaithersburg is located to the northwest of Washington, D.C., and is considered a suburb and a primary city within the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Gaithersburg was incorporated as a town in 1878 and as a city in 1968.

Gaithersburg is divided into east and west sections, separated by Interstate 270. The eastern section of the city is older and is the original portion of the town before more recent growth. Landmarks and buildings from that time can still be seen in many places but especially in the historic central business district of Gaithersburg called "Olde Towne". The east side also includes Lakeforest Mall, City Hall, and the Montgomery County Fair grounds, and Bohrer Park (a well-known joint community recreation center and outdoor water park for kids and families). The west side of the city has many wealthier neighborhoods that were designed with smart growth techniques and embrace New Urbanism. These include the award-winning Kentlands community, the Lakelands community, and the Washingtonian Center (better known as The Rio), a popular shopping/business district. Consumers often come to this area during Black Friday and other shopping holidays for the deals and variety of huge brand name stores like Target and Dick's Sporting Goods, and smaller stores like Francesca's and Blue Mercury. Two New Urbanism communities are under construction, including Watkins Mill Town Center (Casey East and West), and the massive "Science City". The state has a bus rapid transit line, Corridor Cities Transitway or "CCT", planned for the western portion of the city starting at Shady Grove Metro Station and connecting all the high density western Gaithersburg neighborhoods with a total of eight stops planned in the city.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is headquartered in Gaithersburg directly west of I-270.[N 1] Other major employers in the city include IBM, Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Services business area headquarters, MedImmune (a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca), and the French multinational corporation, Sodexo. Gaithersburg is also the location of the garrison of the U.S. Army Reserve's 220th Military Police Brigade.

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Pick the Ideal Electrical Tech School near Gaithersburg MD

Picking the right electrical training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each program provides unique options for certification also. Probably the best means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Gaithersburg MD.