Things to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Harrisonburg VA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first 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 chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Numerous electrician technical programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Harrisonburg VA program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive an excellent education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states require 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate might signify that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It might also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly important 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 can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Harrisonburg VA grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Numerous electrician training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Harrisonburg VA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes 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 up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Harrisonburg VA electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Harrisonburg home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few 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 handle your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Harrisonburg VA, check that the programs you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Harrisonburg VA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Harrisonburg VA area.<\/p>\n
Harrisonburg, Virginia<\/h3>
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,914,[6] with a census-estimated 2016 population of 53,078.[7] Harrisonburg is the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham County,[8] although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Harrisonburg with Rockingham County for statistical purposes into the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a 2011 estimated population of 126,562.[9]<\/p>
Harrisonburg is home to James Madison University (JMU), a public research university with an enrollment of over 20,000 students,[10] and Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), a private, Mennonite-affiliated liberal arts university. Although the city has no historical association with President James Madison, JMU was nonetheless named in his honor as Madison College in 1938 and renamed as James Madison University in 1977.[11] EMU largely owes it existence to the sizable Mennonite population in the Shenandoah Valley, to which many Pennsylvania Dutch settlers arrived beginning in the mid-18th century in search of rich, unsettled farmland.[12]<\/p>
The city has become a bastion of ethnic and linguistic diversity in recent years. Over 1,900 refugees have been settled in Harrisonburg since 2002.[13] As of 2014, Hispanics or Latinos of any race comprise 19% of the city's population.[14]Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) students speak 55 languages in addition to English, with Spanish, Arabic, and Kurdish being the most common languages spoken.[15] Over one-third of HCPS students are English as a second language (ESL) learners.[16]Language learning software company Rosetta Stone was founded in Harrisonburg in 1992,[17] and the multilingual \"Welcome Your Neighbors\" yard sign originated in Harrisonburg in 2016.[13]<\/p><\/div>\n