Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nWhen you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the East Saint Louis IL area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional factors that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Numerous electrician technical schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the East Saint Louis IL school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Also, some 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 schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It could also mean that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help East Saint Louis IL grads secure apprenticeships or employment.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Most electrician training programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with East Saint Louis IL area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional 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 using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local East Saint Louis IL electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your East Saint Louis residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near East Saint Louis IL, confirm that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near East Saint Louis IL?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the East Saint Louis IL area.<\/p>\n
East St. Louis, Illinois<\/h3>
East St. Louis is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri, in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. Once a bustling industrial center like many cities in the Rust Belt, East St. Louis has been severely affected by loss of jobs due to deindustrialization during the second half of the 20th century. In 1950, East St. Louis was the fourth largest city in Illinois when population peaked at 82,366. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,006, less than one-third of the 1950 census.\n<\/p>
One of the highlights of the city's waterfront is the Gateway Geyser. Located on the grounds of Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, the fountain is the second-tallest in the world. Designed to complement the Gateway Arch across the river in St. Louis, it shoots water to a height of 630 feet (190\u00a0m), the same height as the Arch.\n<\/p>
Native Americans had long inhabited both sides of the Mississippi River. The Mississippian culture rulers organized thousands of workers to construct villages and complex earthwork mounds at what later became St. Louis and East St. Louis, as well as the urban complex of Cahokia to the north of East St. Louis within present-day Collinsville, Illinois. Before the Civil War, settlers reported up to 50 mounds in the area that became East St. Louis, but most were lost to 19th-century development and later roadbuilding.\n<\/p><\/div>\n