What to Ask Electrician Technical Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nOnce you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Petersburg VA area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical vocational school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Numerous electrician technical programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Petersburg VA school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you receive an excellent education, it can assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate could indicate that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also mean that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which may 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 industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Petersburg VA grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Numerous electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Petersburg VA area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools 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, check with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Petersburg VA electrical contracting company if they can provide some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Petersburg home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to some of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Petersburg VA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Petersburg VA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Petersburg VA area.<\/p>\n
Petersburg, Virginia<\/h3>
Petersburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,420.[3] The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg (along with the city of Colonial Heights) with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes. It is located on the Appomattox River and 21 miles (34\u00a0km) south of the state capital of Richmond. The city's unique industrial past and its location as a transportation hub combined to create wealth for Virginia and the region.\n<\/p>
Early in the colonial era, Petersburg was the final destination on the Upper Appomattox Canal Navigation System because of its location on the Appomattox River at the fall line (the head of navigation of rivers on the U.S. east coast) was a strategic place for transportation and commercial activities. It connected commerce as far inland as Farmville, Virginia, to shipping on the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean.[4] For similar reasons, Fort Henry was built at Petersburg to protect the river.\n<\/p>
As railroads were constructed in the state in the 1830s, Petersburg was developed as a major transfer point for both north-south and east-west competitors. The Petersburg Railroad was one of the earliest predecessors of the modern-day CSX Transportation system. Several of the earliest predecessors of the area's other major Class 1 railroad, Norfolk Southern, also met at Petersburg. Access to railroads stimulated industry in the city, which was already established because of the water power available at the fall line, as the river plunged from the Piedmont to lower lands.\n<\/p><\/div>\n