Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nOnce you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Oakland ME area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical trade school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Numerous electrician technical programs have received 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 an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Oakland ME program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you get an excellent education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order 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 or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It could 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 result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Oakland ME grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Numerous electrician technical programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Oakland ME area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained 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 with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Oakland ME electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Oakland 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 important that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with several of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Oakland ME, verify that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Oakland ME?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Oakland ME area.<\/p>\n
Oakland, Maine<\/h3>
Oakland is a town in Kennebec County in the U.S. state of Maine. The population was 6,240 at the 2010 census.[4] Gateway to the Belgrade Lakes region, Oakland is 4 miles (6\u00a0km) west of Waterville and approximately 18 miles (29\u00a0km) north of Augusta, the state capital.\n<\/p>
Oakland was first settled in about 1780 by colonists of English descent from Massachusetts and New Hampshire. At that time, the region was known as Taconnet after Indian Chief Taconnet, an Abenaki sachem. It was incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court in 1771 as part of Winslow. In 1802, the area west of the Kennebec River was incorporated as Waterville. But manufacturers in the western section, who had created a separate center of industry and trade and were dissatisfied with its taxation, petitioned to have the district set off as a town. The Maine State Legislature complied, and on February 26, 1873 incorporated it as West Waterville. In 1883, it was renamed Oakland, presumably after all the oak trees in the town, though some favored the name Weldon.[5]<\/p>
Farmers were attracted by the town's fertile soil for cultivation, grazing and dairy farming. Chief crops were hay, fruits and vegetables. Manufacturers were drawn because of the water power provided by the Messalonskee Stream. Before 1800, Jonathan Coombs built a sawmill and gristmill. The Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad arrived in 1849, spurring Oakland to boom as a mill town. With several manufacturers of farm implements, it became known as the axe and scythe capital of New England. Other factories produced canned goods, tinware, carriages, furniture, tools, machinery, woolens, lumber, coffins, leather, boots and shoes. There was a granite quarry. In 1872, Oakland became the southern terminal of the Somerset Railroad, connecting first to North Anson, then to Bingham, and finally to Moosehead Lake.[6] But after economic changes, new businesses replaced the agricultural equipment industry, including Valley Distributors, Industrial Metal Recycling, Charlie's Log Cabin and Wrabacon.\n<\/p><\/div>\n