Things to Ask Electrician Trade Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nOnce you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Rocky Mount VA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional factors that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research prior to selecting an electrical vocational school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Numerous electrician vocational schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make certain that the Rocky Mount VA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it can assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it 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 complete the program. A low completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It might also mean that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ 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 industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Rocky Mount VA graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Many electrician technical programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Rocky Mount VA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on 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 up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Rocky Mount VA electrical company if they can give you some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Rocky Mount home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one 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 students and teachers. Speak with several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Rocky Mount VA, verify that the schools you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Rocky Mount VA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Rocky Mount VA area.<\/p>\n
Rocky Mount, Virginia<\/h3>
Rocky Mount is a town in and the county seat of Franklin County, Virginia, United States.[1] The town is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area, and had a population of 4,799 as of the 2010 census.[2] It is located in the Roanoke Region of Virginia.[3]<\/p>
Although Robert Hill built a block house (fortified residence and trading post) in the 1740s, the first English colonists arrived here in 1760, and they named Rocky Mount for a steep cliff near the town. The area originally consisted of two adjacent villages, Rocky Mount and Mount Pleasant. Washington Iron Furnace was built by James Callaway and Jeremiah Early on what is now Main Street slightly outside what is now the historic district, and operated by Calloway's heirs and Peter Saunders until damaged by a flood in 1850, with rebuilding stopped by the Civil War. The first court session was held at Rocky Mount in 1786 following the Revolutionary War, in Callaway's home until he deeded land to the town on which to build the (log) courthouse. Rocky Mount had a post office in 1795. The town was divided into lots in 1804. Jeremiah's son John Early represented the county (part-time) in the Virginia House of Delegates and served as sheriff as well as operated a plantation nearby. The courthouse was replaced in 1831. By 1836 the iron furnace employed 100 people and the town had about 275 residents, included 30 homes and several businesses including 3 grocery stores and a newspaper\/printing office. The oldest dwelling is \"Mount Pleasant\", built overlooking the courthouse in 1829 for Caleb Tate (the court clerk from 1797-1835); the detached brick kitchen built circa 1820 is the oldest building in town. The Rocky Mount Turnpike Company incorporated in 1846 and a bank shortly afterward, but neither prospered.[4]<\/p>
During the Civil War, numerous planter families from the Tidewater region sought refuge in Rocky Mount, and many brought substantial numbers of slaves with them. Among these were the immediate past governor, Henry A. Wise, who settled his family here before he became a Confederate general. Jubal Anderson Early, who became a Confederate general during the war, was born on a farm nearby, and served as one term in the Virginia House of Delegates representing the county (succeeded by his mentor Norborne Taliaferro, who later became a judge) and more than a decade as Commonwealth's attorney (prosecutor) before the war, then resumed his legal practice here and in Lynchburg, Virginia after the war's end (although the building which served as his law office was razed in 1937). The only building constructed in that era and surviving today was constructed for Dr. Thomas Greer in 1861. Two other buildings constructed in 1850-1854 and used as law offices still survive. The town's clerk, Robert A. Scott, issued scrip to assist families of Confederate soldiers during the Civil War, and the Confederate government also requisitioned slaves from various county landowners to work on Richmond's defenses. The town experienced no battles, although Union Gen. George Stoneman and troops passed through the county in the war's final days. In 1867, the Freedman's Bureau under William F. DeKnight opened a Sunday school in Rocky Mount, about a third of whose residents at the time were African American, but efforts to establish a day school didn't succeed until much later, which is one of the reasons Booker Taliaferro Washington, born enslaved in Franklin County, moved with his mother to West Virginia for his education, and later studied at the Hampton Institute at the other side of the state.[5]<\/p><\/div>\n