Becoming An Electrician
Requirements in Becoming An Electrician
Even in times of a housing market slump, it can be extremely worthwhile to look at becoming an electrician as a career option. Electricians make incredible salaries and there is always demand for people with this skill because older homes wiring can corrode, need rewiring, or items like lighting can need updating or moving. Men and women interested in becoming an electrician will need to check with their state to learn the requirements to becoming licensed. In many states, vocational schools or colleges offer courses helpful in all stages of becoming an electrician.
When becoming an electrician you will find that different states require a set number of hours of experience and training. There are usually two levels involved in becoming an electrician. Journeymen train with a licensed/master electrician. A journeyman is the first stage in becoming an electrician and involves an apprenticeship and schooling. In the State of Vermont, journeymen must complete a state-approved educational program that takes at least 576 hours, and then spend 8,000 hours working under a master electrician. An alternate to this is a Type-S journeyman license in which you take a state approved program for becoming an electrician and spend one or two years under a master electrician. A Type-S journeyman must also complete an additional eight hours of continuing education every three years.
Becoming an electrician may seem taxing, but it is important to remember that you are spending your days working under an electrician as part of your normal job. You would be working anyway in most cases, so the 8,000 hours of internship shouldn’t be too bothersome. It is recommended that everyone interested in becoming an electrician read the National Electric Code, their Electricians Licensing Rules, and Electricians Licensing and Electrical Installation Laws. These three informative guides are the keys to mastering required exams. All states require those becoming an electrician to successfully pass exams that are developed by the International Code Council. These exams cover many items from local laws to installing fire alarms to servicing transformers. The tests can be long and tiring but are necessary to a successful career as an electrician.
