Topics to Ask Electrician Tech Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nWhen you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Lake Ozark MO region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional variables that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to selecting an electrical vocational school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician technical programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Lake Ozark MO program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.<\/p>\nHigh Completion and Placement Rates. <\/strong>Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It might also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to instruct 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 directory of graduates, which may produce 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 help Lake Ozark MO graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Numerous electrician trade programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Lake Ozark MO area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Lake Ozark MO electrical contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Lake Ozark residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Lake Ozark MO, verify that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Lake Ozark MO?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Lake Ozark MO area.<\/p>\n
Lake of the Ozarks<\/h3>
Lake of the Ozarks is a large reservoir created by impounding the Osage River in the northern part of the Ozarks in central Missouri. Extents of three smaller tributaries to the Osage are included in the impoundment: the Niangua River, Grandglaize Creek, and Gravois Creek. The lake has a surface area of 54,000 acres (220\u00a0km2) and 1,150 miles (1,850\u00a0km) of shoreline, and the main channel of the Osage Arm stretches 92 miles (148\u00a0km) from end to end. The total drainage area is over 14,000 square miles (36,000\u00a0km2). The lake's serpentine shape has earned it the nickname \"The Magic Dragon\", which has in turn inspired the names of local institutions such as The Magic Dragon Street Meet.[5]<\/p>
A hydro-electric power plant on the Osage River was first pursued by Kansas City developer Ralph Street in 1912. He put together the initial funding and began building roads, railroads, and infrastructure necessary to begin construction of the dam, with a plan to impound a much smaller lake. In the mid-1920s, Street\u2019s funding dried up, and he abandoned the effort.[6]<\/p>
The lake was created by the construction of the 2,543-foot (775\u00a0m) long Bagnell Dam by the Union Electric Company of St. Louis, Missouri. The principal engineering firm was Stone and Webster. Construction began August 8, 1929, was completed in April 1931 and reached spillway elevation on May 20, 1931. During construction, the lake was referred to as Osage Reservoir or Lake Osage. The Missouri General Assembly officially named it Lake Benton after Senator Thomas Hart Benton. None of the names stuck, as it was popularly referred to by its location at the northern edge of the Ozarks. The electric generating station, however, is still referred to by the utility company as the \"Osage Hydroelectric Plant.\"[7]<\/p><\/div>\n