Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools<\/strong><\/h3>\nWhen you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Since there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Lake Lure NC area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are additional factors that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess prior to selecting an electrical vocational school.<\/p>\n
Accreditation. <\/strong>Many electrician trade programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Lake Lure NC school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you receive a superior education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states require that the electrician training course 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 complete the course. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It might also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and\/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Lake Lure NC graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.<\/p>\nApprenticeship Programs. <\/strong>Many electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Lake Lure NC 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 establish 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 already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Lake Lure NC electrical company if they can provide some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Lake Lure residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.<\/p>\nSmaller Classes. <\/strong>It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized 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 observe how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to some of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.<\/p>\nFlexible Scheduling. <\/strong>Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Lake Lure NC, verify that the schools you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.<\/p>\nConsidering Attending an Electrician School near Lake Lure NC?<\/h3>\n
Following is a little bit of background information about the Lake Lure NC area.<\/p>\n
Lake Lure, North Carolina<\/h3>
Lake Lure is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. In 2010 the town population was 1,192. Lake Lure was incorporated in 1927, and acquired the lake after which it is named in 1965.\n<\/p>
In 1902, Dr. Lucius B. Morse and his brothers Hiram and Asahel purchased 64 acres (0.26\u00a0km2) around Chimney Rock (within present-day Chimney Rock State Park) for $5,000. They later acquired enough land in the area to bring the total to 8,000 acres (32\u00a0km2). Lucius Morse's wife Elizabeth is credited with naming the lake (and the town).[4] Included in the area that became the lake, according to a blog entry by Russ Meade, was the town of Buffalo, believed to have been named for a nearby mountain that resembled a buffalo.[5]<\/p>
In 1925, the Morse family created Carolina Mountain Power Company and funded the construction of a dam on the Broad River (through a mortgage) which produced the lake after which the town is named. The full impoundment of Lake Lure was completed in 1927. At ordinary water levels, Lake Lure covers approximately 720 acres (2.9\u00a0km2) and has a shoreline of approximately 27 miles (43\u00a0km). The dam's power plant began operations in 1928 with the sale of electricity under a 10-year contract to Blue Ridge Power Co., a local predecessor of Duke Power.\n<\/p><\/div>\n