How to Become an Electrician in Presque Isle Maine
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Presque Isle ME. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you approach making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are a number of points to examine. For example, some students will commence by looking for schools that are nearby their home. When they have located a few that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the most affordable tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the only things that need to be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should help mold your final judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training choices that are available.
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near Presque Isle ME
There are multiple approaches to receive electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Presque Isle ME. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the 3 most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Maine technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards students who would like to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs take 2 years to finish and are offered by Maine community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Maine institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed before licensing. Because of that, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Presque Isle ME can carry out a vast array of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally about four to five years of experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary way for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be earned in various specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you select not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might need to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools in Presque Isle ME
An alternative that you may have considered is selecting an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. While online training programs have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning might be a more convenient option for individuals that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Driving costs from Presque Isle ME are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be accessed on line also. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools
When you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Presque Isle ME region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The initial two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have earned 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 an individual program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Presque Isle ME school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get an excellent education, it can assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It might also mean that the instructors 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 alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to utilize 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 help Presque Isle ME graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical programs 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 partnerships with Presque Isle ME area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Presque Isle ME electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Presque Isle residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with several of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Presque Isle ME, confirm that the schools you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.
Considering Attending an Electrician School near Presque Isle ME?
Following is a little bit of background information about the Presque Isle ME area.
Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle /prɛsk aɪl/ is the commercial center and largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,171 in 2015 as estimated by the US Census, a decrease from the count of 9,692 in the 2010 Census.[4] The city is home to the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College, Husson University Presque Isle,[5] Northern Maine Fairgrounds, The Aroostook Centre Mall, and the Northern Maine Regional Airport.
The first European settlers were British Loyalists who reached the area in 1819 hoping to obtain land for lumber. Border disputes between the United States and the United Kingdom over the area, however, made it impossible for pioneers to gain title to the land. In response, the government of the neighboring British colony of New Brunswick (now a Canadian province) gave out patents for pioneers to live on the land but not claim ownership or sell it. By 1825, surveyors traveling along the Aroostook river noted that twenty families lived along it and noted that while agriculture was present, all of the families employed most of their time towards wood production.[7]
The boundary dispute slowed development in the area, but the government of Massachusetts, which governed the territory at the time, saw the territory as theirs and encouraged the development of settlements in northern Maine by offering land grants and mill privileges in the 1820s. The first American to settle in the area was Dennis Fairbanks in 1828 who gained ownership over the land under the provisions set up by Massachusetts and later Maine, which gained statehood in 1820.[7]
Select the Ideal Electrical Technical School near Presque Isle ME
Picking the right electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have covered in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are considering. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical training program that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be current and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve 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 speak with the students and instructors. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Presque Isle ME.
Other Cool Cities in Maine
Business Results 1 - 10 of 15
