Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nOnce you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Because there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Andalusia AL area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>A large number of electrician trade schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Andalusia AL school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain an excellent education, it can assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order 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 of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also mean that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which may produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Andalusia AL grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Most electrician vocational programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Andalusia AL area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make certain that the school facilities and the tools 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, consult with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Andalusia AL electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Andalusia home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with several of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the teachers and find out 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 reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Andalusia AL, confirm that the programs you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Andalusia AL?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Andalusia AL area.<\/p>\n
Andalusia, Alabama<\/h3>
Andalusia was first settled in 1841 after flooding of the Conecuh River and the surrounding lowlands forced citizens to move to higher ground. The county seat was moved from Montezuma to Andalusia in 1844. The new town was originally called \"New Site\" but was known as Andalusia by the time a post office was established in 1846.[4]<\/p>
Andalusia, likely got its name from Spanish explorers or settlers since the land where the town is located was part of Spanish Florida until Pinckney's Treaty in 1795. Prior to this treaty, the Spanish Empire claimed all land up to 32.22 degrees north, which would include present day Andalusia which is at 31.31 degrees north. Andalusia shares the name of Andalusia, a large southern autonomous community of Spain.[citation needed]<\/p>
Andalusia is located slightly northwest of the center of Covington County at 31\u00b018\u2032N 86\u00b029\u2032W\ufeff \/ \ufeff31.300\u00b0N 86.483\u00b0W\ufeff \/ 31.300; -86.483 (31.309, -86.479).[7] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.8 square miles (51.3\u00a0km2), of which 19.7 square miles (50.9\u00a0km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4\u00a0km2), or 0.79%, is water.[3]<\/p><\/div>\n