Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Pikesville MD 21208

How to Become an Electrician in Pikesville Maryland

Pikesville MD electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Pikesville MD. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many variables to consider. For example, some students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. When they have located a few that are within commuting distance, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Although cost and location are of importance, they are not the sole things that need to be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your final judgment when selecting an electrician school. We will discuss that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are accessible.

Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options near Pikesville MD

Pikesville MD electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general options to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Pikesville MD. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states to be licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are brief explanations of the three most prevalent programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Maryland vocational and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who would like to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees take 2 years to complete and are provided by Maryland junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Maryland institutions, but are less preferred at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases four years be performed prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Guidelines

Pikesville MD electricians working on power lines Electricians in Pikesville MD can perform a multitude of tasks, 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 municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically around four to five years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be obtained in various specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you select not only delivers a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online in Pikesville MD

attending electrician school online in Pikesville MD An option that you might have considered is selecting an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online training programs have become more prevalent as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more accommodating alternative for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Commuting expenses from Pikesville MD are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be available on line as well. Each of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

Pikesville MD electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Pikesville MD area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are additional variables that must be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research before selecting an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Many electrician trade schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Pikesville MD program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you obtain a quality education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, some states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it 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 percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It could also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, 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 confirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Pikesville MD graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Pikesville MD area electricians or electrical professionals. 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 campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Pikesville MD electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Pikesville home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult 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 witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Pikesville MD, confirm that the schools you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Pikesville MD?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Pikesville MD area.

Pikesville, Maryland

Pikesville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Pikesville is just northwest of the Baltimore city limits. It is the northwestern suburb closest to Baltimore.

The population was 30,764 at the 2010 census.[1] The corridor along Interstate 795, which links Pikesville, Owings Mills and Reisterstown to the Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695), contains one of the larger Jewish populations in Maryland.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 12.4 square miles (32.1 km2), of which 32.0 square kilometres (12.4 sq mi) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.07 km2), or 0.22%, is water.[3]

The location could not be found.

Select the Right Electrician Tech School near Pikesville MD

Selecting the right electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical training program that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every program provides unique options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Take the time to monitor a few 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 end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Pikesville MD.