Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nWhen you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Gilroy CA region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are other variables that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical vocational school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Gilroy CA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It may also mean that the teachers were not competent to instruct 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 directory of alumni, which may mean 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 industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Gilroy CA students secure apprenticeships or employment.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Many electrician vocational programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Gilroy CA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Gilroy CA electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Gilroy home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to several of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Gilroy CA, check that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Gilroy CA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Gilroy CA area.<\/p>\n
Gilroy, California<\/h3>
Gilroy (\/\u02c8\u0261\u026alr\u0254\u026a\/) is a city located in Northern California's Santa Clara County, south of Morgan Hill and north of San Benito County. The city's population was 48,821 at the 2010 United States Census.<\/p>
Gilroy is well known for its garlic crop and for the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, featuring various garlicky foods such as garlic ice cream, leading to the city's nickname as the \"Garlic Capital of the World\". Gilroy also produces mushrooms in considerable quantity. Gilroy is well known for boutique wine production, which is a large part of Gilroy's western portion, mostly consisting of family estates around the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west.[8]<\/p>
Spanish explorers led by Juan Bautista de Anza first passed through the Santa Clara Valley area in 1776, and in 1797 Mission San Juan Bautista was established near the Pajaro River. In 1809, Ygnacio Ortega was granted the 13,066-acre (5,288\u00a0ha) Spanish land concession Rancho San Ysidro. The village of San Ysidro (not to be confused with the present-day San Diego community) grew nearby, at the foot of Pacheco Pass which linked the El Camino Real and the Santa Clara Valley with the San Joaquin Valley. California's main exports at this time were hides and tallow, of which thousands of barrels were produced and shipped to the rest of New Spain. Trade and diplomatic intercourse with foreigners was strictly forbidden by the royal government but was quietly carried on by Californians desperate for luxury goods.<\/p><\/div>\n