Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Because there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Harmony PA region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical tech school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>A large number of electrician trade schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Harmony PA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive an excellent education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.<\/p>\nHigh Completion and Placement Rates. <\/strong>Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate could signify that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It could also mean that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Harmony PA grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Most electrician vocational programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Harmony PA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Harmony PA electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Harmony home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with several of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Harmony PA, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Harmony PA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Harmony PA area.<\/p>\n
Harmony, Pennsylvania<\/h3>
Interstate 79 passes just east of the borough, with access from exits 87 and 88. Via I-79 it is 30 miles (48\u00a0km) south to downtown Pittsburgh and 99 miles (159\u00a0km) north to Erie. Pennsylvania Route 68 passes through the borough just south of the downtown and leads west into Zelienople and east 17 miles (27\u00a0km) to Butler, the county seat.\n<\/p>
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 937 people, 409 households, and 267 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,468.0 people per square mile (952.0\/km\u00b2). There were 434 housing units at an average density of 1,143.1 per square mile (441.0\/km\u00b2). The racial makeup of the borough was 99.15% White, 0.53% African American, 0.21% Native American, and 0.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.\n<\/p>
There were 409 households, out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.82.\n<\/p><\/div>\n