What to Ask Electrician Training 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. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Silver Spring MD area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The first 2 that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are other variables that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician trade programs have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Silver Spring MD program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.<\/p>\nHigh Completion and Placement Rates. <\/strong>Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It could also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, 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 affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Silver Spring MD graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Most electrician trade 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 electrical businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Silver Spring MD area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Silver Spring MD electrical contractor if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Silver Spring residence. Take note 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 personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger 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. Talk to a few of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Silver Spring MD, verify that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits 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 Silver Spring MD?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Silver Spring MD area.<\/p>\n
Silver Spring, Maryland<\/h3>
Silver Spring is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located inside the Capital Beltway in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 76,716 according to 2013 estimates by the United States Census Bureau, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown, and the second largest in Montgomery County after Germantown.[2] Inner Silver Spring consists of the following neighborhoods: Downtown Silver Spring, East Silver Spring, Woodside, North Woodside, Woodside Park, North Hills Sligo Park, Long Branch, Montgomery Knolls, Franklin Knolls, Indian Spring Terrace, Indian Spring Village, Clifton Park Village, New Hampshire Estates, Oakview, and Woodmoor. Outer Silver Spring consist of the following neighborhoods: Four Corners, Wheaton, Glenmont, Forest Glen, Aspen Hill, Hillandale, White Oak, Colesville, Colesville Park, Cloverly, Calverton, Briggs Chaney, Greencastle, Northwood Park, Sunset Terrace, Fairland, Lyttonsville, and Kemp Mill.\n<\/p>
The urbanized, oldest, and southernmost part of Silver Spring is a major business hub that lies at the north apex of Washington, D.C. As of 2004, the Central Business District (CBD) held 7,254,729 square feet (673,986\u00a0m2) of office space, 5216 dwelling units and 17.6 acres (71,000\u00a0m2) of parkland. The population density of this CBD area of Silver Spring was 15,600 per square mile all within 360 acres (1.5\u00a0km2) and approximately 2.5 square miles (6\u00a0km2) in the CBD\/downtown area.[3]\nThe community has recently undergone a significant renaissance, with the addition of major retail, residential, and office developments.\n<\/p>
Silver Spring takes its name from a mica-flecked spring discovered there in 1840 by Francis Preston Blair, who subsequently bought much of the surrounding land. Acorn Park, tucked away in an area of south Silver Spring away from the main downtown area, is believed to be the site of the original spring.[4][5]<\/p><\/div>\n