Things to Ask Electrician Trade Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nWhen you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Odessa TX area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that must be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical trade school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>A large number of electrician trade schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Odessa TX program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you get a quality education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many states mandate that the electrician training program be accredited for it to qualify 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 could signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Odessa TX graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Most electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Odessa TX area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Odessa TX electrical contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Odessa home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you get as much one-on-one 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 see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with some of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Odessa TX, verify that the programs you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Odessa TX?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Odessa TX area.<\/p>\n
Odessa, Texas<\/h3>
Odessa \/\u02cco\u028a\u02c8d\u025bs\u0259\/ is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County.[3] Odessa's population was 118,918 at the 2010 census making it the 29th-most populous city in Texas; estimates as of July 2015 indicate a population of 159,436 in the city.[4] It is the principal city of the Odessa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Ector County. The metropolitan area is also a component of the larger Midland\u2013Odessa combined statistical area, which had a 2010 census population of 278,801; a recent report from the United States Census Bureau estimates that the combined population as of July 2015 is 320,513.[4][5] In 2014, Forbes magazine ranked Odessa as the third fastest-growing small city in the United States.[6]<\/p>
Odessa was founded in 1881 as a water stop and cattle-shipping point on the Texas and Pacific Railway. The first post office opened in 1885. Odessa became the county seat of Ector County in 1891 when the county was first organized. It was incorporated as a city in 1927, after oil was discovered in Ector County on the Connell Ranch southwest of Odessa.[8]<\/p>
With the opening of the Penn Field in 1929, and the Cowden Field in 1930, oil became a major draw for new residents. In 1925, the population was just 750; by 1929, it had risen to 5,000. For the rest of the twentieth century the city's population and economy grew rapidly during each of a succession of oil booms (roughly in the 1930s\u201350s, 1970s and 2010s), often with accompanying contractions during the succeeding busts (particularly in the 1960s and 1980s).[8]<\/p><\/div>\n