Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Lexington MA 02173

How to Become an Electrician in Lexington Massachusetts

Lexington MA electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Lexington MA. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are so many points to consider. For instance, many potential students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. After they have located several that are within commuting distance, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the only qualifications that need to be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are accessible.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Lexington MA

Lexington MA electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple approaches to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Lexington MA. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief summaries of the three most prevalent programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Massachusetts vocational and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards students who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are offered by Massachusetts community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Massachusetts 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 before licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Criteria

Lexington MA electricians working on power lines Electricians in Lexington MA can perform a multitude of tasks, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring 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 period of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around 4 to 5 years of experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically assess electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be earned in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases involves 3 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you select not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Training Classes in Lexington MA

attending electrician school online in Lexington MA An alternative that you might have contemplated is selecting an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be accessed online, internet learning can be a more practical option for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Driving expenses from Lexington MA are also reduced and some of the study materials can be available on line also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

Lexington MA electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Lexington MA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we mentioned 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 final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Many electrician vocational programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Lexington MA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you acquire a superior education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It could also signify that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to utilize 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 Lexington MA grads secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician vocational programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Lexington MA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Lexington MA electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Lexington home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging 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 experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with several of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to 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 programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Lexington MA, 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. Also, find out 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 Lexington MA?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Lexington MA area.

Lexington, Massachusetts

Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,394 at the 2010 census,[1] in nearly 11,100 households. Settled in 1641, it is celebrated as the site of the first shots of the American Revolutionary War, in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775. It is part of the Greater Boston Area and is the sixth wealthiest small city in the United States.[2]

Lexington was first settled circa 1642[3] as part of Cambridge, Massachusetts.[3] What is now Lexington was then incorporated as a parish, called Cambridge Farms, in 1691. This allowed them to have a separate church and minister, but were still under jurisdiction of the Town of Cambridge. Lexington was incorporated as a separate town in 1713. It was then that it got the name Lexington.[4] How it received its name is the subject of some controversy. Some people believe that it was named in honor of Lord Lexington, an English peer.[5] Some, on the other hand, believe that it was named after Lexington (which was pronounced and is today spelled Laxton) in Nottinghamshire, England.[6]

In the early colonial days, Vine Brook, which runs through Lexington, Burlington, and Bedford, and then empties into the Shawsheen River, was a focal point of the farming and industry of the town. It provided for many types of mills, and in the 20th Century, for farm irrigation.

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Pick the Right Electrical Trade School near Lexington MA

Choosing the best electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare between the schools you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Lexington MA.