SANFORD, Maine — To help keep up with a growing need for electricians in Maine, one program offered is helping electricians-to-be break into the industry at faster pace.
York County Community College is heading into its second year, offering an electrician technology certificate course at its Sanford campus.
So far, the program has taught more than 20 students many of which have already aced the state license test.
"Being an in-person program, we can really offer a lot. A lot of interaction, a lot of discussion amongst classmates," class instructor and department chair Mike Lovejoy said.
The course is designed to help teach students of all abilities and skills, from the basics and beyond. After the program, students can say they received over 500 hours of classroom experience.
To further break down barriers, students are able to work with a professional during the day and learn at night, as the course is taught in the evenings.
Students who qualify can also take the entire year-long course for free, thanks to funding through the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine's Workforce, Key Bank, and the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan.
"And that's a big selling point," Lovejoy added. "When a student goes to their family and says, 'You know, it's only three nights a week in class, I'm going to still work full-time.'"
Currently in Maine, there are more than 3,500 licensed electricians; not nearly enough to meet current demands. The program is helping to meet Maine's desperate need for new workers to enter the field.
"That's what's really cool about this, is that it makes that sort of thing more accessible to people to actually get out and get their certificate," Craig Arsenault, who recently finished his first week in the program, said.
Another student, Noah Dennis, is looking towards taking his state exam after finishing.
"It's been a very interesting journey committing to something completely new and different," Dennis said. "You know, when I first started working and I turned on the first light bulb I wired up, that was the coolest thing ever. And now I'm doing more housing, I'm doing entire floors."