Questions to Ask Electrician Tech Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Macomb IL region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are other factors that must be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical trade school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician technical schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Macomb IL program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you acquire a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify 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 complete the course. A low completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It could also signify that the instructors were not qualified to instruct 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 result in more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Macomb IL graduates acquire apprenticeships or employment.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Most electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction 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 electrician contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Macomb IL area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make certain that the school 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, consult with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Macomb IL electrical contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Macomb home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be higher 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 sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to several of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the teachers and learn 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 schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Macomb IL, confirm that the schools you are reviewing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Macomb IL?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Macomb IL area.<\/p>\n
Macomb, Illinois<\/h3>
Macomb \/m\u0259\u02c8ko\u028am\/ is a city in and the county seat of McDonough County, Illinois, United States.[3] It is situated in western Illinois, southwest of Galesburg. The city is about 75 miles southwest of Peoria and 77 miles south of the Quad Cities.[4] A special census held in 2014 placed the city's population at 21,516.[5] Macomb is the home of Western Illinois University.<\/p>
First settled in 1829 on a site tentatively named Washington, the town was officially founded in 1830 as the county seat of McDonough County and given the name Macomb after General Alexander Macomb,[6] a general in the War of 1812. War veterans were given land grants in the Macomb area, which was part of the \"Military Tract\" set aside by Congress. In 1855 the Northern Cross Railroad, a predecessor to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, was constructed through Macomb, leading to a rise in the town's population. In 1899 the Western Illinois State Normal School, later Western Illinois University, was founded in Macomb. Representative Lawrence Sherman was instrumental in locating the school in Macomb.[7] In 1903 the Macomb and Western Illinois Railway was built from Macomb to nearby Industry and Littleton by local financier Charles V. Chandler, though this railroad was abandoned in 1930. In 1918, construction on Illinois Route 3 was begun as a state financed highway from Cairo to Rock Island through Macomb; in the late 1920s U.S. Route 67 was extended along this route to Dubuque, Iowa.<\/p>
Macomb has been visited by several US Presidents over the years. Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Johnson, Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt have all made short addresses in Macomb. On two occasions, Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama addressed large audiences prior to their election as president. Obama was actually stumping for state senate at the time, meaning a president or presidential nominee has not visited Macomb in 109 years and counting.[8]<\/p><\/div>\n