Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Gustavus AK area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school 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 a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are other factors that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to selecting an electrical tech school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>A large number of electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Gustavus AK school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive a superior education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved 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 course. A low completion rate could suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It might also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to utilize 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 field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Gustavus AK graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Many electrician training programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Gustavus AK area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Gustavus AK electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Gustavus residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s desirable that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to some of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Gustavus AK, confirm that the programs you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Gustavus AK?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Gustavus AK area.<\/p>\n
Gustavus, Alaska<\/h3>
Gustavus, formerly known as \"Strawberry Point\", lies on the outwash plain created by the glaciers that once filled Glacier Bay. Two hundred years ago, it was primarily a single large \"beach\". The native Tlingit people and others used the area for fishing, berry picking, and other similar uses. The town itself is less than one hundred years old. The first settlers arrived in 1914, but left shortly afterward. The first permanent homestead was established in 1917, when Abraham Lincoln Parker moved his family to Strawberry Point. Many Gustavus residents are descendants and relatives of the original Parker homesteaders.\n<\/p>
In 1925 the name became \"Gustavus\", when the U.S. Post Office required a change for its new post office, although locals continued calling it \"Strawberry Point\" long afterwards. The new name came from Point Gustavus at the mouth of Glacier Bay.\n<\/p>
In 1793 George Vancouver named Point Adolphus (at the northern tip of Chichagof Island, and today a well-known humpback whale feeding area) after Adolphus Frederick, seventh son of King George III. In 1878, W.H. Dall, while working on a coastal survey, saw \"Adolphus\" on the map and assumed it was for Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus. The point across Icy Strait from Point Adolphus at the mouth of Glacier Bay was not named on the map, so Dall called it \"Gustavus\". Another possibility is that Dall named Gustavus for Gustavus C. Hanus, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who had extensive experience throughout southeast Alaska, and both Dall and Hanus served with the Coast Survey in Alaska. Hanus laid out the first streets in Juneau and helped quell the trouble in Klukwan in 1881.\n<\/p><\/div>\n