What to Ask Electrician Training Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Slatington PA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other variables that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Numerous electrician vocational schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Slatington PA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, some states mandate that the electrician training program 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 percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It might also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Slatington PA graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Many electrician vocational programs are taught together 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 businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Slatington PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Slatington PA electrical company if they can provide some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Slatington residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with several of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Slatington PA, check that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Slatington PA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Slatington PA area.<\/p>\n
Slatington, Pennsylvania<\/h3>
Slatington is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It is located 20 miles north of Bethlehem, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is 62 miles south of Scranton, and 70 miles north of Philadelphia.<\/p>
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6\u00a0km2), of which 1.3 square miles (3.4\u00a0km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26\u00a0km2) (4.35%) is water.<\/p>
Slatington's elevation is 738 feet above sea level. Slatington's elevation varies from 330 feet at the Lehigh River on the east side of town to 750 feet by the Union Cemetery on Route 873 to the south.<\/p><\/div>\n