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 focus your training options. Because there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Lafayette LA region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be important when making your decision, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>A large number of electrician technical schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Confirm that the Lafayette LA program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Also, many states require 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may signify that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It might also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Lafayette LA graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Most electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with Lafayette LA area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Lafayette LA electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you can move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Lafayette residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition charges 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 monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with a few of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise 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 are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Lafayette LA, verify that the schools you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Lafayette LA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Lafayette LA area.<\/p>\n
Lafayette, Louisiana<\/h3>
Lafayette (\/\u02ccl\u00e6fi\u02c8j\u025bt\/; French:\u00a0[lafaj\u025bt]) is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana,[4] located along the Vermilion River in the southwestern part of the state. The city of Lafayette is the fourth-largest in the state, with a population of 127,657 according to 2015 U.S. Census estimates.[5] It is the principal city of the Lafayette, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a 2015 estimated population of 490,488. The larger trade area or Combined Statistical Area of Lafayette-Opelousas-Morgan City CSA was 627,146 in 2015.[5]\nIts nickname is The Hub City.\n<\/p>
The Attakapas Native Americans inhabited this area at the time of European encounter. French colonists founded the first European settlement, Petit Manchac, a trading post along the Vermilion River.[6] In the late eighteenth century, numerous Acadian refugees settled in this area, after being expelled from Canada after Great Britain defeated France in the Seven Years' War. They intermarried with other settlers, forming what is known as Cajun culture, which continued as strongly French language and Catholic religion.\n<\/p>
Jean Mouton, of Acadian descent, donated land to the Catholic church for construction of a small Catholic chapel at this site. In 1824 this area was selected for the Lafayette Parish seat and known as Vermilionville, for its location on the river. In 1836 the Louisiana Legislature granted it incorporation.\n<\/p><\/div>\n