What to Ask Electrician Technical Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Ottawa IL area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical technical school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Numerous electrician vocational programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Ottawa IL program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.<\/p>\nHigh Completion and Placement Rates. <\/strong>Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing 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 indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ 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 field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Ottawa IL students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Most electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Ottawa IL area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed 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, talk to the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Ottawa IL electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Ottawa home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to some of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Ottawa IL, check that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Ottawa IL?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Ottawa IL area.<\/p>\n
Ottawa, Illinois<\/h3>
Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the navigable Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The Illinois River is a conduit for river barges and connects Lake Michigan at Chicago, to the Mississippi River, and North America's 25,000 mile river system. The population estimate was 18,562 as of 2013.[4] It is the county seat of LaSalle County and it is part of the Ottawa-Peru, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.\n<\/p>
Ottawa was the site of the first of the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. During the Ottawa debate Stephen A. Douglas, leader of the Democratic Party, openly accused Abraham Lincoln of forming a secret bipartisan group of Congressmen to bring about the abolition of slavery.[5]<\/p>
The John Hossack House was a \"station\" on the Underground Railroad, and Ottawa was a major stop because of its rail, road, and river transportation.[6] Citizens in the city were active within the abolitionist movement. Ottawa was the site of a famous 1859 extrication of a runaway slave named Jim Gray from a courthouse by prominent civic leaders of the time. Three of the civic leaders, John Hossack, Dr. Joseph Stout and James Stout, later stood trial in Chicago for violating the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.[7]<\/p><\/div>\n