Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Augusta ME 04330

How to Become an Electrician in Augusta Maine

Augusta ME electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Augusta ME. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are so many points to consider. For example, some students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their residence. After they have located some that are within driving range, they will decide on the one with the lowest tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications that should be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should contribute toward your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will cover 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 training options that are accessible.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Augusta ME

Augusta ME electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Augusta ME. You may select 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 alternatives. In many cases these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most common programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Maine vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees take two years to finish and are offered by Maine junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some Maine colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be carried out before licensing. For that reason, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Augusta ME electricians working on power lines Electricians in Augusta ME can perform a multitude of duties, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but generally about four to five years of experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 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 imperative that the electrician vocational school that you select not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online in Augusta ME

attending electrician school online in Augusta ME An alternative that you might have looked at is selecting an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Travelling costs from Augusta ME are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Augusta ME electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Because there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Augusta ME area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The first two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Augusta ME program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you receive a superior education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It might also mean that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which may produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Augusta ME graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade 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 within their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Augusta ME area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Augusta ME electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Augusta home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Augusta ME, confirm that the programs you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out 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 Augusta ME?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Augusta ME area.

Augusta, Maine

The city's population was 19,136 at the 2010 census, making it the third-least populous state capital in the United States after Montpelier, Vermont and Pierre, South Dakota, and the ninth-most populous city in Maine. Located on the Kennebec River at the head of tide, Augusta is home to the University of Maine at Augusta. Augusta is also the principal city in the Augusta-Waterville Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The area was first explored by the ill-fated Popham Colony in September 1607. It was first inhabited by English settlers from the Plymouth Colony in 1628 as a trading post on the Kennebec River. The settlement was known by its Indian name—Cushnoc (or Coussinoc or Koussinoc), meaning "head of the tide." Fur trading was at first profitable, but with Indian uprisings and declining revenues, the Plymouth Colony sold the Kennebec Patent in 1661. Cushnoc would remain unoccupied for the next 75 years.[6] This area was inhabited by the Kennebec Indians, a band of the larger Abenaki tribe. During the 17th century, they were on friendly terms with the English settlers in the region.[7][8]

A hotbed of Abenaki hostility toward British settlements was located further up the Kennebec at Norridgewock. In 1722, the tribe and its allies attacked Fort Richmond (now Richmond) and destroyed Brunswick. In response, Norridgewock was sacked in 1724 during Dummer's War, when English forces gained tentative control of the Kennebec. During the height of the French and Indian War, a blockhouse named Fort Western (now the oldest wooden fort in America), was built at Cushnoc on the eastern bank of the Kennebec River in 1754. It was intended as a supply depot for Fort Halifax upriver, as well as to protect its own region from French attack.[9] Later, during the American Revolutionary War Benedict Arnold and his 1,100 troops would use Fort Western as a staging area before continuing their journey up the Kennebec to the Battle of Quebec.

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Enroll in the Ideal Electrical Vocational School near Augusta ME

Picking the ideal electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician training program that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world perspective, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification also. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you select is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and commitment, the final outcome will be a new career as a professional electrician in Augusta ME.