What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to focus your school options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Miles City MT area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are additional factors that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical tech school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Miles City MT program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you obtain an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it 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 or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It could also signify that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Miles City MT grads obtain 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 schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Miles City MT area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Miles City MT electrical contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Miles City home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with several of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few 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 programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Miles City MT, confirm that the schools you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain 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 Miles City MT?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Miles City MT area.<\/p>\n
Miles City, Montana<\/h3>
After the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, the U.S. Army created forts in eastern Montana, including one where the north-flowing Tongue River flowed into the east-flowing Yellowstone River. The first fort was known as the Tongue River Cantonment or the Tongue River Barracks and was founded on August 27, 1876. A second, permanent fort was constructed on higher ground two miles to the west of the mouth of the Tongue and this became Fort Keogh.<\/p>
Fort Keogh (named after Captain Myles Keogh, one of the battle dead, whose horse, Comanche, was the lone survivor of Custer's command) started as a few rough winter cabins, but grew into a moderate sized western fort, from which its commander, General Nelson A. Miles, effectively brought the remaining \"uncontrolled\" Native Americans into subjugation during the last decade of the 1800s.[5]<\/p>
Nelson Miles said that \"whiskey caused him more trouble than the Indians\" and, after tiring of drunken soldiers causing problems during the winter campaign, evicted the sutlers who provided \"liquid stock\" in the spring of 1877. Moving two miles due east of the Tongue River Cantonment, these early merchants founded the first Miles City. Although fondly referred to as \"Milestown,\" the first post office and first official plat both called the town \"Miles City.\" When the old cantonment moved two miles west, the town literally picked up and followed, moving to the current site. The last occupants of Old Miles City stayed on until 1900 but the new community was the one that grew.<\/p><\/div>\n