What to Ask Electrician Tech Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Because there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Lyons IL area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first 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 chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other variables that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical tech school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician trade schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Lyons IL school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, a number of 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 considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also signify that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which can mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Lyons IL students acquire apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Most electrician training programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Lyons IL area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment 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, consult with the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Lyons IL electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Lyons home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few 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 feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Lyons IL, verify that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain 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, sickness or family emergencies.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Lyons IL?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Lyons IL area.<\/p>\n
Lyons, Illinois<\/h3>
Lyons (also known as Lyons Township) is a village in Lyons Township Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,729 at the 2010 census. The Chicago Portage National Historic Site is located in Lyons.<\/p>
Although first settled in 1888, Lyons remained as a large unincorporated area of Cook County for several years, before becoming a census-designated place in 2009. The community is greatly steeped in earlier historical roots. In 1673 French Explorer Louis Joliet and Jesuit missionary Father Pierre Marquette left Green Bay, Wisconsin, by canoe in search of a western passage to the Pacific. As they traveled into the Spanish controlled area of Louisiana, they realized that the mighty Mississippi River drained into the already well known Gulf of Mexico. With winter approaching, they headed north as quickly as possible. To save time, the Potawatomi Indians who were with them encouraged changing their route to the Illinois River. The short cut led to the Des Plaines River and caused the French travelers to discover \u201cLe Portage.\u201d This half-mile wide area of land connecting the Chicago River and the Des Plaines River, over which they could carry their canoes and supplies, was to become the discovery for which they would both become famous. Later known as the Chicago Portage, this small area became the \u201cGateway to the West\u201d and was used by thousands of early settlers and traders traveling both east and west. The discovery of \u201cLe Portage\u201d was part of the impetus that led to Chicago becoming a center for the world trade.<\/p>
Louis Joliet conceived the idea of constructing a canal to connect the two waterways. This idea was to become a reality 200 years later with the opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. In time, the part of the I&M Canal that connected the south branch of the Chicago River with the Des Plaines River was replaced with the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which was completed in 1900. Today, a statue stands in Lyons at the Chicago Portage National Historic Sight just north of Interstate 55 along Harlem Avenue, commemorating this historic National Heritage Corridor which stretches southwest through La Salle, Illinois.<\/p><\/div>\n