Points to Ask Electrician Training Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Since there are so many electrician tech and trade schools in the Ambler PA region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical technical school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician trade programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make certain that the Ambler PA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you receive a superior education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, many 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 looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Ambler PA students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Many electrician training programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Ambler PA area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Ambler PA electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Ambler residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.<\/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 at night or on weekends near Ambler PA, confirm that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Ambler PA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Ambler PA area.<\/p>\n
Ambler, Pennsylvania<\/h3>
The historical territory of the Lenni Lenape was in the Delaware River Valley, in an area reaching from Cape Henlopen, Delaware, northward towards the lower Hudson Valley in southern New York. The area towards the south, including what is now Philadelphia and nearby Ambler, was the home of a linguistic group called the Unami.[4] According to tradition, the Lenape established a peace treaty in with Quaker William Penn in the 1680s.[5]<\/p>
William and George Harmer are listed among the Quakers who emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1682.[6] In 1716, William and George Harmer purchased a 408-acre tract from William Penn, an area including most of what now is Ambler Borough.[7] They are credited as the first landholders to actually settle in the area.[8] William Harmer built a grist mill powered by the Wissahickon Creek, \"the first commercial venture in the Ambler area\".[9] He also built a stone dwelling with casement windows and diamond shaped leaded glass, near what is now the intersection of Butler Pike and Morris Road. After his death in 1731, the house, mill, and property were sold to Morris Morris and his wife Susanna Heath Morris.[9]<\/p>
Residents sought permission from the Crown to build roads in the area. The first road built in Ambler, now known as Mt. Pleasant Avenue, was confirmed in 1730. It went from Harmer's Mill to the North Wales Road (now Bethlehem Pike).[7] Butler Pike was created in 1739, and went through the town, which was known at that time as the Village of Wissahickon, after the Wissahickon Creek.[10]:7<\/p><\/div>\n