Questions to Ask Electrician Training Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nWhen you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Since there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Pacoima CA area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The initial two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your determination, there are other factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to research before enrolling in an electrical trade school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Pacoima CA school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you obtain an excellent education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.<\/p>\nHigh Completion and Placement Rates. <\/strong>Ask the electrician training programs you are looking at 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 might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It could also mean 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 list of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Pacoima CA graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>A large number of electrician trade programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with Pacoima CA area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area electrician professional community.<\/p>\nModern Facilities. <\/strong>Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Pacoima CA electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Pacoima residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in 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 important that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise 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 meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Pacoima CA, confirm that the schools you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Pacoima CA?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Pacoima CA area.<\/p>\n
Pacoima, Los Angeles<\/h3>
Pacoima is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the northern San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles.[1]\nIt covers an area of 7.14 square miles and has a population of over 81,000 people, with a density of approximately 10,510 people per square mile.[2] The vast majority of the population is Hispanic.[3]<\/p>
Pacoima is bordered by the Los Angeles districts of Mission Hills on the west, Arleta on the south, Sun Valley on the southeast, Lake View Terrace on the northeast, and by the city of San Fernando on the north.\n<\/p>
Ed Meagher of the Los Angeles Times wrote in 1955 that the 110-block area on the north side of San Fernando Road in Pacoima consisted of what he described as a \"smear of sagging, leaning shacks and backhouses framed by disintegrating fences and clutter of tin cans, old lumber, stripped automobiles, bottles, rusted water heaters and other bric-a-brac of the back alleys.\"[4] In 1955 Pacoima lacked curbs, paved sidewalks, and paved streets. Pacoima had what Meagher described as \"dusty footpaths and rutted dirt roads that in hard rains become beds for angry streams.\"[4] Meagher added that the 450 houses in the area, with 2,000 inhabitants, \"squatted\" \"within this clutch of residential blight.\"[4] He described most of the houses as \"substandard.\" Around 1955, the price of residential property increased in value, as lots that sold years prior for $100 sold for $800 in 1955. Between 1950 and 1955, property values on Van Nuys Boulevard increased six times. In late 1952, the Los Angeles City Council allowed the Building and Safety Department to begin a slum clearance project to try to force homeowners who had houses deemed substandard to repair, demolish, or vacate those houses. In early 1955, the city began a $500,000 project to add 9 miles (14\u00a0km) of curbs, sidewalks, and streets. Meagher said that the \"neatness and cleanness\" [sic] of the new infrastructure were \"a challenge to homeowners grown apathetic to thoroughfares ankle deep in mud or dust.\"[4] Some area businessmen established the San Fernando Valley Commercial & Savings Bank in November 1953 to finance area rehabilitation projects after other banks persistently refused to give loans to those projects.[4]<\/p><\/div>\n