Topics to Ask Electrician Trade Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nOnce you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Seaside CA region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other variables that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical vocational school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician trade programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Seaside CA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive a quality education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.<\/p>\nHigh Completion and Placement Rates. <\/strong>Ask the electrician schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It might also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may result in 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 also that it has the network of contacts to assist Seaside CA grads secure apprenticeships or employment.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Most electrician technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Seaside CA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Seaside CA electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Seaside residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Seaside CA, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Seaside CA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Seaside CA area.<\/p>\n
Seaside, California<\/h3>
Seaside (formerly East Monterey) is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, with a population of 33,025 as of the 2010 census. Seaside is located 2.25 miles (3.6\u00a0km) east-northeast of Monterey,[8] at an elevation of 33 feet (10\u00a0m).[5] Seaside is the home of California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) and the Monterey College of Law, which are located on the site of the former military base Fort Ord. There you will find the Bayonet and Black Horse golf courses, once also part of the Fort Ord military base, now open to the public, and host to PGA Tour events,[9] including the 2012 PGA Professional National Championship.[10] Seaside is also the gateway to the Fort Ord National Monument Park, created on April 20, 2012. It has a rich history, diverse habitat, bountiful recreation opportunities, and helps protect and manage 83 miles of trails and over 44 species of plants and animals.<\/p>
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24\u00a0km2), of which, 9.2 square miles (24\u00a0km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26\u00a0km2) of it (1.48%) is water. According to the maps of the United States Geological Survey, the elevation ranges from 0 to 165 meters (0 to 541 feet).<\/p>
The climate is a cool Mediterranean type, strongly influenced by the prevailing winds from the west, which blow over the Pacific Coast's cool ocean currents from Alaska. At the nearest National Weather Service Climate Station, in the City of Monterey at 385 feet elevation: The coldest month is January, with an average daily high of 15.5\u00a0\u00b0C (59.9\u00a0\u00b0F); the warmest month is September, with an average daily high of 22\u00a0\u00b0C (72\u00a0\u00b0F); the average daily low is 6\u00a0\u00b0C (43\u00a0\u00b0F) in January and 11.5\u00a0\u00b0C (52.7\u00a0\u00b0F) in September; and the average rainfall is 50 centimeters (20 inches) per year, with 90.3% falling during November through April. The weather can be much hotter when the winds blow from the east: Since 1906, there have been 11 days with a high of 37.8\u00a0\u00b0C (100.0\u00a0\u00b0F) or higher; all 11 days occurred in June, September, or October.[11]<\/p><\/div>\n