What to Ask Electrician Trade Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Rockford MI region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other factors that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical technical school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician technical schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Rockford MI program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire a quality education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.<\/p>\nHigh Completion and Placement Rates. <\/strong>Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and quit. It could also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Rockford MI grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Numerous electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Rockford MI area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Rockford MI electrical contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Rockford home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s desirable that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to a few of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience 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 handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Rockford MI, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Rockford MI?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Rockford MI area.<\/p>\n
Rockford, Michigan<\/h3>
The Rockford area was first visited and inhabited by Native American cultures, such as the Hopewell, Mascouten, and Ottawa tribes. There have not been archeological finds of Native American settlements in the Rogue River valley, but their trails branched through the area and were noted by early surveyors.\n<\/p>
The first important settler of what would become the city of Rockford was Smith Lapham, who had come to Kent County in 1843 after living in Washtenaw County for 18 years. Smith Lapham came to the banks of the Rogue to assist in the completion of a dam and sawmill begun by a William Hunter. Hunter gave Lapham 40 acres (160,000\u00a0m2) of land on the east side of the Rogue for his trouble, and Lapham stayed there for the rest of his life. Hunter shortly left the area.\n<\/p>
Lapham built his own sawmill on his side of the river, which was completed by 1844. Other settlers soon followed, including John Long, Freeman Burch, and William Thornton. By the fall of 1845, the settlement had about 5 houses. Since the settlement existed largely on land owned or sold by Smith Lapham, it became known as Laphamville. In 1856 it was first platted as Laphamville by William Thornton.\n<\/p><\/div>\n