What to Ask Electrician Trade Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nOnce you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Mc Keesport PA area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to selecting an electrical technical school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Numerous electrician trade schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Mc Keesport PA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get a quality education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, many 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 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 low completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It could also signify that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a broader 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 will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Mc Keesport PA graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Many electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Mc Keesport 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 local electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Mc Keesport PA electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Mc Keesport residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to some of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Mc Keesport PA, check that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Mc Keesport PA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Mc Keesport PA area.<\/p>\n
McKeesport, Pennsylvania<\/h3>
McKeesport is a city in Allegheny County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania; it is situated at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers and is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 19,731 at the 2010 census.[3] By population, it is Allegheny County's second-largest city, after Pittsburgh.\n<\/p>
Originally part of Versailles Township, McKeesport was incorporated as a borough in 1842 and as a city in 1891. Its population grew steadily until the mid-20th century, when it peaked in the 1940s. The city's population in 1900 was 34,227; in 1910, 42,694; in 1920, 45,975; and in 1940, 55,355. The decrease in the population since the 1940s is attributable to the general economic malaise that descended upon the region when the steelmaking industry moved elsewhere. The major employer was the National Tube Works, a manufacturer of iron pipes, which once employed 10,000 men. McKeesport was the site of the first G. C. Murphy five-and-ten-cent store.\n<\/p>
John McKee, an original settler of Philadelphia and son of David McKee, built a log cabin near the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers, the site of present-day McKeesport. After taking over his father's local river ferry business, he devised a plan for a city to be called McKee's Port. John set out his proposal in the Pittsburgh Gazette, as part of a program under which new residents could purchase plots of land for $20.00 (a lottery was used to distribute the plots to avoid complaints from new land owners concerning \"inferior\" locations).\n<\/p><\/div>\n