Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nNow that you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your school options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Troy IL area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The initial two 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 while all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research before choosing an electrical tech school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician trade schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Troy IL school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire an excellent education, it may assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. 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 training programs you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate might indicate that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It might also signify that the teachers were not qualified 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 more extensive list of alumni, which may produce 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 trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Troy IL grads obtain apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Numerous electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Troy IL area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Troy IL electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Troy residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Troy IL, verify that the programs you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Troy IL?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Troy IL area.<\/p>\n
Troy, Illinois<\/h3>
Troy is part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its namesake in Lincoln County, Missouri is also part of this MSA, making it (along with the two O'Fallons in Illinois and Missouri) one of the few pairs of like-named municipalities to be part of the same MSA.\n<\/p>
According to the 2010 census, Troy has a total area of 5.349 square miles (13.85\u00a0km2), of which 5.29 square miles (13.70\u00a0km2) (or 98.9%) is land and 0.059 square miles (0.15\u00a0km2) (or 1.1%) is water.[6]<\/p>
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 8,524 people, 3,100 households, and 2,356 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,037.6 people per square mile (787.4\/km\u00b2). There were 3,201 housing units at an average density of 765.2 per square mile (295.7\/km\u00b2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.48% White, 1.48% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population.\n<\/p><\/div>\n