In Minnesota, like most other states throughout the United States, electricians have to renew their licences frequently to keep providing services. Part of the process includes continuing education which typically helps a professional to remain competent in their trade.
Understanding what’s required of you will go a long way in helping you retain your licence, which is why you should read this article to the end.
Why Is Continuing Education Necessary?
If you’re one of the electricians who think that the licence renewal process would be quite easy and fast were it not for the CE requirements, you’re probably wondering why you need to continue your education, in the first place. The most important and obvious one is that it’s a state requirement, so if you don’t want to risk losing your licence, you would have to take your CE classes.
The other reasons revolve around better customer service and improving your skills. Continuing your education means you’ll stay informed about the crucial industry standards and leverage the newest techniques to stay relevant in your art. For this to happen, however, you should purchase only a premium MN Electrical Continuing Education course from a top-rated provider like RocketCert. Such providers go beyond offering the required topics and throw in a couple more benefits such as fully-narrated courses that are easier to understand.
Closer Look at the CE Requirements
The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) in Minnesota is the one that sets requirements for the renewal of electrical licences. Luckily, the CE requirements aren’t that steep, even if you’re a first-timer. Here are the requirements for the different licensees:
● Master Electrician (Class A & B)
After getting your master electrician licence, you aren’t required to meet CE requirements for the first year. However, you will have to acquire 16 hours of continuing education after this during the licence renewal period which occurs once every two years. Of the sixteen hours, 12 should be from National Electrical Code (NEC)-related topics, and the remainder from Non-Code topics such as licensing laws & rules, electrical installations, and technical topics.
● Journeyman, Maintenance Electricians, and Class B Installers
An electrician who holds any of these three licences will have to complete 16 hours of continuing education from the first year of licensing. The 16 hours are divided just like those of a master electrician. 12 hours must be code-related, whereas the rest can be from additional topics such as electrical installations that aren’t related to the NEC. Like Master Electricians, all three categories of licences here should be renewed after two years.
● Unlicensed Electrician
Anyone who’s working as an unlicensed electrician in Minnesota requires only two hours of continuing education. This category includes apprentices since they too will be working as unlicensed electricians as they continue training.
Your two CE hours will be NEC-focused, and you’ll be required to renew your licence yearly, as opposed to bi-yearly if you had one of the licences mentioned above. For that reason, you will have to take your CE course every year.
Renew Your Licence Correctly Every Time
It’s crucial to renew your licence as directed by DLI every time to avoid trouble or something as simple as wasting time on an activity that shouldn’t be part of your schedule. Remember that failing to renew your licence deactivates it, and the last thing you want to do is practise without a valid licence.
Also, attempting to renew your licence without meeting CE requirements can cause suspension of your licence and a $1,000 fine. To avoid all this, it would be wise to visit rocketcert.com to learn more about renewing your licence, after which you can purchase the right course for your trade.
