Topics to Ask Electrician Training Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nOnce you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Portsmouth VA region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to selecting an electrical technical school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Numerous electrician trade schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Portsmouth VA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it can help in securing financial aid 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 qualify for licensing.<\/p>\nHigh Completion and Placement Rates. <\/strong>Ask the electrician training programs you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It might also indicate that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Portsmouth 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 vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Portsmouth VA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area 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 using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Portsmouth VA electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Portsmouth home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to several of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to 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>Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Portsmouth VA, check that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Portsmouth VA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Portsmouth VA area.<\/p>\n
Portsmouth, Virginia<\/h3>
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S. Navy facility that is actually located in Portsmouth rather than Norfolk; the original name \"Gosport\" was changed to \"Norfolk\" to reflect its location in what is now the former Norfolk County, Virginia. The shipyard upgrades, remodels, and repairs ships of the US Navy and is one of the few facilities in the world with the capability to dry dock an aircraft carrier.<\/p>
Directly opposite Norfolk, the city of Portsmouth also has miles of waterfront land on the Elizabeth River as part of the harbor of Hampton Roads. There is a ferry boat that takes riders back and forth across the water between Downtown Norfolk and Olde Towne Portsmouth.<\/p>
Portsmouth is located on the western side of the Elizabeth River directly across from the City of Norfolk. In 1620, the future site of Portsmouth was recognized as suitable shipbuilding location by John Wood, a shipbuilder, who petitioned King James I of England for a land grant. The surrounding area was soon settled as a plantation community.[4]<\/p><\/div>\n