How to Become an Electrician in Kents Hill Maine
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Kents Hill ME. But with so many vocational schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making certain that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many points to consider. For instance, some students will start by searching for schools that are close to their residence. When they have located some that are within driving distance, they will decide on the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though location and cost are important, they are not the only things 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 other qualifications should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are offered.
Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options near Kents Hill ME
There are three general options to receive electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Kents Hill ME. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Bellow are short summaries of the 3 most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually provided by Maine vocational and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards those who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to complete and are offered by Maine junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Maine institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines
Electricians in Kents Hill ME can carry out a vast array of duties, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about four to five years of experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically 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 differ by state and may be acquired in many specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails 3 levels of proficiency:
- 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 important that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Schools in Kents Hill ME
An alternative that you might have considered is selecting an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Pretty much 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, distance learning might be a more convenient choice for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting expenses from Kents Hill ME are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Training Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Since there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Kents Hill ME area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical technical school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician technical schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Kents Hill ME 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 guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved 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 percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may signify that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also signify that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which can mean 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 trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Kents Hill ME graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Kents Hill ME area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. 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 Kents Hill ME electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Kents Hill residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in 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 desirable that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to some of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Kents Hill ME, confirm that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, be 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, sickness or family issues.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Kents Hill ME?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Kents Hill ME area.
Kents Hill School
Kents Hill School (also known as Kents Hill or KHS) is a co-educational, independent college-preparatory school for boarding and day students. Kents Hill is located in Kents Hill, Maine, 12 miles west of the state capital of Augusta. It is the 30th oldest boarding school in the United States and one of the oldest continuously operating co-educational college preparatory schools.[2] One of the three oldest Methodist academies in the United States (with Cazenovia Seminary and Wilbraham Academy), the school is now a member of the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE) and accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Kents Hill was founded in 1824 as the Maine Wesleyan Seminary[3] by Luther Sampson, a Duxbury, Massachusetts native and a veteran of the American Revolution. According to an early publication of the Kents Hill Breeze, a defunct school periodical, Luther "was of the fifth generation in lineal descent from Henry Sampson, one of the Pilgrim band that landed on Plymouth Rock, December 22, 1620."[4] A carpenter[5] who had not had a formal education, Sampson wanted to use the wealth he had earned in his profession and the government-granted assignment of land he earned as a Colonial soldier to benefit society and to glorify God. Sampson, his wife Abigail Ford, and their children lived in Duxbury and, later, Marshfield, before relocating to over two hundred acres in Readfield, Maine, around the turn of the century.[4] In 1821, Sampson incorporated there the "Readfield Religious and Charitable Society", whose original charter contained no mention of a school, but rather laid a plan to support area Methodist belief and practice. Sampson deeded the society over one hundred acres of land on Kents Hill.
Failing financially and seeking a more efficacious means of performing his mission, by 1823 Sampson had begun to explore the possibility of changing the society's identity into one rooted in the education of youths.[4] Together with Elihu Robinson, a carpenter-schoolmaster in the nearby city of Augusta, and his wife, they opened the Seminary in order to better society through education. Boys and girls appeared on the school's roster from the day the school opened.
Find the Right Electrician Trade School near Kents Hill ME
Selecting the right electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are evaluating includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should provide a real-world context, and the curriculum 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 degree or certificate will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides unique options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Kents Hill ME.
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