How to Become an Electrician in Houlton Maine
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near Houlton ME. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are so many factors to consider. For example, many potential students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. After they have located a few that are within driving range, they will select the one with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole factors that must be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the educational options that are available.
Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Houlton ME
There are several ways to obtain electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Houlton ME. You can select a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states in order to become licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are brief summaries of the 3 most typical programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Maine trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve 2 years to finish and are offered by Maine junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some Maine colleges, but are less favored at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Houlton ME can perform a vast array of functions, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about four to five years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be acquired in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Programs Online in Houlton ME
An alternative that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require some attendance on-campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, internet learning may be a more practical alternative for students that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus competitors. Commuting costs from Houlton ME are also reduced and some of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Houlton ME region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Houlton ME school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you acquire a superior education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, 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 considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate might signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It could also suggest that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to use 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 also that it has the network of contacts to assist Houlton ME students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Houlton ME area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Houlton ME electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within driving distance of your Houlton home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to some of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure 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 Houlton ME, confirm that the programs you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Houlton ME?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Houlton ME area.
Houlton, Maine
Houlton is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, on the Canada–US border, located at 46°07′32″N 67°50′23″W / 46.1256°N 67.8398°W / 46.1256; -67.8398. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 6,123. It is perhaps best known as being at the northern terminus of Interstate 95 and for being the birthplace of Samantha Smith, a goodwill ambassador as a child during the Cold War. The town hosts the annual Houlton Agricultural Fair.
Houlton is the county seat for Aroostook County, and as such its nickname is the "Shire Town." The Houlton High School sports teams are named "The Shiretowners." The Meduxnekeag River flows through the heart of the town, and the border with the Canadian province of New Brunswick is 3 mi (4.8 km) east of the town's center. Houlton was the home of Ricker College which closed in 1978.[4]
The area was occupied for thousands of years by varying cultures of indigenous peoples. In historic times, these were the Algonquian-speaking Maliseet people. When Maine was part of Massachusetts, parcels of land were dealt out to schools and colleges. The area that was to become Houlton was deeded to the Academy of New Salem, Massachusetts. Thirteen men from New Salem bought the land from the Academey though only three settled there.[6]
Enroll in the Ideal Electrician Technical School near Houlton ME
Choosing the right electrical trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you pick is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Houlton ME.
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