Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nWhen you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Stockton Springs ME region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The first two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical tech school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Stockton Springs ME school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you get a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.<\/p>\nHigh Completion and Placement Rates. <\/strong>Ask the electrician training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It may also mean that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Stockton Springs ME grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Many electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Stockton Springs ME area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make sure that the campus 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 already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Stockton Springs ME electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Stockton Springs residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Stockton Springs ME, verify that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check 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 Stockton Springs ME?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Stockton Springs ME area.<\/p>\n
Stockton Springs, Maine<\/h3>
Stockton Springs is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,591 at the 2010 census. Stockton Springs is home to Fort Point State Park and Fort Point Light, both located on Fort Point, a peninsula on Cape Jellison.\n<\/p>
Part of the Waldo Patent, it was first settled about 1759, the year Governor Thomas Pownall completed Fort Pownall on Fort Point.[4] The defense was intended to guard the mouth of the Penobscot River estuary during the French and Indian War. Fort Pownall was burned in 1775 and 1779 by the British themselves, to prevent it from falling into the hands of American rebels.[5]<\/p>
On February 29, 1794, the area was incorporated as part of Prospect, but then set off and incorporated as a town on March 13, 1857, named Stockton after a port in England.[6] In 1859, businesses included four sawmills, three shingle mills, two lath mills, one carding machine, one cloth-dressing mill, one tannery, four shipyards, six blacksmith shops, and several mechanic shops. By 1886, it also had a shoe factory, cheese factory, a door, sash and blind factory, cask and barrel makers, and a clothing factory.[7] On February 5, 1889, the town's name was changed to Stockton Springs in anticipation of bottling local spring water. When sediment was discovered in the bottles, however, the plan was abandoned.\n<\/p><\/div>\n