Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to refine your training options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Valentine NE area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are other variables that must be considered also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician trade programs have received 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 Valentine NE school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire an excellent education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, some states mandate that the electrician training course 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 or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It could also mean that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high 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 employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Valentine NE students secure apprenticeships or employment.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Most electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Valentine NE area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Valentine NE electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Valentine residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with several of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Valentine NE, check that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Valentine NE?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Valentine NE area.<\/p>\n
Valentine, Nebraska<\/h3>
As late as 1967, Valentine was split between two time zones. As described in one news report, \"The mountain and central time zones meet at the center of Main Street, so an hour separates the two curb lines.\" According to the report, when clocks were required to be set back one hour for daylight saving time, Valentine's post office (which was in the central zone) split the difference and turned back its clock by only half an hour.[10]<\/p>
Valentine participates in an annual re-mailing program where thousands of pieces of mail flow into the local United States Post Office so that they can be re-mailed with a special Valentine's Day postmark and verse.[11]<\/p>
Valentine is located at 42\u00b052\u203225\u2033N 100\u00b033\u20321\u2033W\ufeff \/ \ufeff42.87361\u00b0N 100.55028\u00b0W\ufeff \/ 42.87361; -100.55028 (42.873686, \u2212100.550308).[14] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.25 square miles (5.83\u00a0km2), of which, 2.22 square miles (5.75\u00a0km2) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08\u00a0km2) is water.[2]<\/p><\/div>\n