What to Ask Electrician Trade Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nWhen you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Athens TN area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to choosing an electrical tech school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Numerous electrician vocational programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Athens TN school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you get an excellent education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, some states require 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It might also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Athens TN students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Most electrician training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with Athens TN area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local 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 using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Athens TN electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Athens residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the instructors and find out 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 programs you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Athens TN, confirm that the programs you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask 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 Athens TN?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Athens TN area.<\/p>\n
Athens, Tennessee<\/h3>
Athens is a city in McMinn County, Tennessee, United States. It is the county seat of McMinn County[6] and the principal city of the Athens Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Chattanooga-Cleveland-Athens Combined Statistical Area. The city is located almost equadistantly between the major cities of Knoxville and Chattanooga.[7] The population was 13,220 at the 2000 census and 13,458 at the 2010 census.[8]<\/p>
The Cherokee were living in McMinn County at the time of the arrival of the first Euro-American explorers. The Athens area was situated nearly halfway between the Overhill Cherokee villages of Great Tellico to the north in Monroe County and Great Hiwassee along the Hiwassee River to the south. In 1819, the Cherokee signed the Calhoun Treaty, selling the land north of the Hiwassee (including all of modern McMinn County) to the United States. McMinn County was organized on November 13, 1819 at the home of John Walker in what is now Calhoun. The Native American village, Pumpkintown (a corruption of Potemkin town), was located on a farm about two miles east of present-day Athens. It is sometimes incorrectly identified as a forerunner of Athens. Athens was laid out and chosen as the county seat in 1822.[9] The name \"Athens\" may have been chosen due to perceived topographical similarities to Athens, Greece.[10]<\/p>
By 1834, the population of Athens had grown to over 500.[11] Prominent early settlers included William Henry Cooke, who operated an iron forge near modern Etowah, and Samuel Clegg (or Cleage), a construction entrepreneur. Jesse Mayfield, whose descendants founded Mayfield Dairy Farms, arrived in the early 1820s.[12] The Hiwassee Railroad received a charter in the mid-1830s to build a railroad connecting Knoxville, Tennessee and Dalton, Georgia. The railroad began construction in 1837, although financial and legal problems delayed its completion until 1851.[10] In 1836, General John Wool arrived in Athens to help coordinate the Cherokee Removal. Although initially voluntary, the operation became a forced removal in 1838 when many Cherokee refused to leave. The removal culminated in the forced march west that became known as the Trail of Tears. Wool set up his headquarters at the Bridges Hotel, which was located across the street from the McMinn County Courthouse.[13]<\/p><\/div>\n