Practical Electricity – Certificate

 PROGRAM DETAILS
Certificate in Practical Electricity
Duration: 12 Months (part-time)
Career focus/Specialization: Electric Machines
Certificate offers two pathways to earn an associate degree:

• Associate Degree in Engineering Technology (can finish in 12 additional months)
• Associate Degree in Renewable Energy Technology (can finish in 12 additional
  months)

Full Course List 

Start a High-Voltage Career

New residential and commercial construction projects, new investment in renewable energy sources, and manufacturing advances have led to strong growth in careers where knowledge of electricity plays a central role.

Certificate in Practical Electricity

Franklin Cummings Tech’s 12-month Certificate of Proficiency in Practical Electricity can prepare you for a wide variety of roles in the electrical field where you will be managing specialized and complex machines. Potential careers include licensed electrician, utility operator, robotics technician, and clean energy technician. In all cases, these roles offer job security and a living wage.

Our program is designed for the beginner who has no formal training in electrical theory or code. Or for someone who learned basic principles at a vocational/technical school, and wants to continue their formal training.

The certificate program provides the 600 hours of approved education required by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Examiners of Electricians to sit for the Journeyman Electricians Licensing Exam. Our day or evening certificate program is part-time over 12 months, and faculty also speak Portuguese. Through hands-on learning and labs, you will learn the concepts of electrical theory and code and practice the common tasks that electricians perform every day, including how to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot electric grid systems powered by wind, solar, and other sources. Our industry partners prefer our graduates over other institutions’ graduates and start them at a
higher salary because of our reputation in the trades.

Even after completing this program, if you want to get licensed as an electrician, you must first work under the direct supervision of a Licensed Journeyman Electrician for a minimum of 8,000 hours. Those 8,000 hours can typically be completed in about four years. For additional information on licensing and testing requirements please visit the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians website.

The program is offered in the daytime or evening, with start dates in September and January of each year. This is a part-time, college-accredited program. Classes are held Monday-Thursday and the full program can be completed in 12 months from the date of enrollment. It is designed to allow students to work as much as full-time while pursuing formal training in this trade.

Our partnerships with experienced personnel in the trades, as well as state regulators, such as the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians and the Division of Apprentice Training, assures that the Practical Electricity certificate program is relevant and ever-changing, with new methods and technology. In addition, our material is continuously updated to conform to the National Electrical Code, which updates every three years. Our program includes a 10-hour OSHA course that provides students with an understanding of job site safety.

Graduates of our Practical Electricity program have many entry-level career options in the electrical industry including a direct pathway toward obtaining a Journeyman Electrician license, electrical contractor, and electrical support positions such as estimator, utility substation operator, wind turbine technician, and robotics technician.

What you will learn

• Electrical/motor circuits and controls
• Electrical device installation
• Voltage drop and overcurrent protection
• Wiring methods and sizing

Career Opportunities

Note: This certificate program meets the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Board of Examiners of Electricians’ requirement of the completion of 600 hours of approved education in order to be eligible to sit for the Journeyman Electricians Licensing Exam. However, even after completing this program, if you want to become a licensed electrician, you must first work under the direct supervision of a Licensed Journeyman Electrician for a minimum of 8,000 hours. Those 8,000 hours can typically be completed in about four years.

The career pathway to becoming licensed is typically:
Apprentice -> Journeyperson -> Master Electrician

In addition to often becoming licensed electricians, Franklin Cummings Tech Practical Electricity program grads have fulfilling careers in the construction, utility, and manufacturing sectors as:

• Project supervisors
• Utility substation operators
• Wind turbine technicians
• Robotics technicians
• Electromechanical technicians
• Electrical supply sales and distribution

There is strong demand for licensed electricians for residential, commercial, industrial, and solar projects.

• There are approximately 567,000 jobs for electricians in the US
• The mean hourly rate for electricians in MA is $28-$39
• During apprenticeship, there is a potential earnings increase of 50%
• The median hourly rate for the top 10% of electricians is $40
• The projected job growth for this field is an impressive 23%