Points to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nOnce you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the West Lafayette IN area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Numerous electrician vocational programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the West Lafayette IN school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many 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 training programs you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It might also suggest 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 more extensive list of alumni, which can result in 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 an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help West Lafayette IN grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>A large number of electrician vocational programs are taught together 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 electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with West Lafayette IN area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local West Lafayette IN electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within driving distance of your West Lafayette home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in 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 desirable that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging 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 students and teachers. Talk to a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the instructors 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 programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near West Lafayette IN, check that the programs you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near West Lafayette IN?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the West Lafayette IN area.<\/p>\n
West Lafayette, Indiana<\/h3>
West Lafayette \/\u02ccl\u0251\u02d0fi\u02c8\u025bt\/ is a city in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States,[6] about 65 miles (105\u00a0km) northwest of the state capital of Indianapolis and 103 miles (166\u00a0km) southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash River from its sister city, Lafayette. As of the 2016 census estimate, its population was 45,872.[7] It is the most densely populated city in Indiana and is home to Purdue University.\n<\/p>
Augustus Wylie laid out a town in 1836 in the Wabash River floodplain south of the present Levee. Due to regular flooding of the site, Wylie's town was never built. The present city was formed in 1888 by the merger of the adjacent suburban towns of Chauncey, Oakwood, and Kingston, located on a bluff across the Wabash River from Lafayette, Indiana.[8] The three towns had been small suburban villages which were directly adjacent to one another. Kingston was laid out in 1855 by Jesse B. Lutz. Chauncey was platted in 1860 by the Chauncey family of Philadelphia, wealthy land speculators. Chauncey and Kingston formed a municipal government in 1866 which selected the name \"Chauncey\".[8]<\/p>
The new town of Chauncey remained a small suburban village until Purdue University opened in 1869. In 1871 Chauncey voted to be annexed by Lafayette because it was unable to provide the infrastructure (such as improved streets, waterworks, police and fire protection). Lafayette voted against annexing Chauncey because of the high cost of the many improvements that the village lacked.[9] In May 1888, the town of Chauncey voted to change its name to West Lafayette after a petition signed by 152 electors.[10] By that time, the growth of the university was fueling the growth of the little town. The address of Purdue University was given as \"Lafayette, Indiana\" until well into the twentieth century. West Lafayette never gained a railroad depot and lagged several years behind Lafayette in the establishment of municipal infrastructure and services. Today, West Lafayette has established itself as a separate city, with independent services and unique neighborhoods distinct from those of its sister city, Lafayette.\n<\/p><\/div>\n