Things to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Since there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Blacksburg VA region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other variables that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical technical school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician technical programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Blacksburg VA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you obtain a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.<\/p>\nHigh Completion and Placement Rates. <\/strong>Ask the electrician training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also indicate that the instructors were not competent 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 broader list of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Blacksburg VA students secure apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught along 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 electrician companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Blacksburg VA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make certain 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 on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Blacksburg VA electrical company if they can provide some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Blacksburg residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with several of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Blacksburg VA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Blacksburg VA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Blacksburg VA area.<\/p>\n
Blacksburg, Virginia<\/h3>
Blacksburg is an incorporated town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University).<\/p>
Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses those jurisdictions and all of Montgomery, Pulaski, and Giles counties for statistical purposes. The MSA has an estimated population of 159,587 [4] and is currently one of the faster-growing MSAs in Virginia.<\/p>
In 2011, BusinessWeek named Blacksburg as the \"Best Place in the U.S. to Raise Kids\".[5] Also in 2011, readers of Southern Living named Blacksburg the \"Best College Town in the South\".[6] Its public transportation system, Blacksburg Transit, which also connects to the neighboring town of Christiansburg, has repeatedly been recognized for the quality of its service.[7]Blacksburg High School, which in 2013 opened a new building,[8] is often ranked among the top schools of the nation for its academics. Its soccer, track, and cross-country teams are also among the top in the state.<\/p><\/div>\n