How to Find the Best Technical School near Andover Virginia
Choosing to work in a new occupation and enroll in a vocational school near Andover VA are important decisions that will greatly impact your future career. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you go about finding the best one? Not only do you have to make certain that you will obtain the comprehensive training needed to succeed in your new field, but also that the school is highly regarded and reputable. Some students make the mistake of enrolling in a trade school just because the campus is nearest to their home or where the work. Or they may gravitate to the one that charges the most affordable tuition. Naturally the location and cost of the training are important factors when analyzing trade school options, but they must not be the sole ones. Other considerations such as reputation and accreditation of the schools are important as well. So prior to beginning your evaluations and comparing trade schools, you must know what questions you should be asking so you can get the information to make a final selection. We will review some of those questions later in this article. But to start with, let’s talk about a few of the trade options that are offered including the availability of online programs.
Trade School Program Options near Andover VA
There are an abundance of professions to pick from in vocational schools that provide gratifying and good paying careers. Perhaps you have already selected one that you have for years desired to pursue. For instance, perhaps you have always enjoyed working on your car and have considered using that ability to make a living as an auto mechanic. Or maybe a relative has had a long and successful career in a certain vocation or trade and you would like to follow in his or her footsteps. Regardless of what your inspiration is for entering a trade, there is likely a program offered that will provide the training you need. Following is just a small representation of the trade school programs that are available in the Andover VA area.
- Automotive Technician
- Heating And Air Conditioning (HVAC) Tech
- Plumbing
- Electrical Technician
- Welder
- Truck Driver
- Aircraft Maintenance Tech
- Lab Technician
- Construction Manager
All programs will have differing costs and completion times depending on the trade, type of credential and school. Many of the programs may be completed in a few weeks, while others will require months or even 2 or more years of schooling. Each of these factors should be considered before choosing a trade and a school.
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Learning a Vocation Online
Schools available online have become very popular with Andover VA students and more and more accredited programs are being offered. Although online learning is a readily available and practical way to earn a certificate or degree, it may not be the ideal option for all trades or vocations. For example, training to drive a tractor trailer is not something that you can accomplish online, nor is learning how to weld. These are skills that must be mastered through hands on training and by doing it, not by reading about it or watching videos. But certain elements of the training can be appropriate for online training, for example studying safety and driving regulations for truck driving schools or learning about metallurgy or how to read blueprints for welding schools. Some programs will blend online instruction with on-campus lab work, for example for HVAC or plumbing schools. So it is essential to determine before enrolling in an online program for any trade if there is an adequate amount of hands-on training allocated to the course of study. One way to help ensure that a trade school program is both appropriate for online learning and delivers comprehensive practical training is to confirm that it’s accredited by a nationally acknowledged accrediting organization (more on accreditation later). For those trades that are appropriate for training online, it can be a practical way for individuals with limited time to acquire a new profession.
What to Ask Vocational School Programs
Once you have picked the vocation and type of degree or certificate that you wish to acquire, either online or on campus, you can start to limit your selection of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous technical schools in the Andover VA area and across the USA to select from. That’s why it is extremely important to have a checklist of important qualifications when making school comparisons. As previously stated in our opening paragraph, location and tuition will undoubtedly be the initial 2 aspects you will take into consideration. Following are several additional ones that you should investigate before enrolling in your school of choice.
Accreditation. Many Andover VA area vocational 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 HVAC technology. Make sure that the school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states mandate that the training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing where applicable.
How Long in Business? One clue to help evaluate the quality of a trade school near Andover VA is how long it has been in business. A negatively ranked or a fly by night school usually will not stay in business very long, so longevity is a big plus. However, even the best of schools had to begin from their opening day of training, so use it as one of several qualifications.
Completion Rates. Ask the tech schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It could also signify that the instructors were not qualified to instruct 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 directory of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help grads secure apprenticeships or jobs in the Andover VA area.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many training programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Andover VA area contractors in the trade. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Andover VA contractor if they can provide some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is in Virginia and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Andover VA, verify that the programs you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.
Auto Mechanic Trade Schools Near Me Andover Virginia
Finding the right trade school near Andover VA is a crucial first step toward a gratifying career in the vocation of your choice. As we have addressed in this article, you should select a vocational school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. Other things to look for are ample practical training and state-of-the-art facilities. You should go to each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and speak with both the faculty and current students. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. Additionally, ask about scheduling choices and whether or not night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And don’t forget to ask about financial assistance and student loan options also. You initially came to this website because of your interest in Auto Mechanic Trade Schools Near Me and wanting more information on the topic 2 Year Trade School. However, if you ask the appropriate questions as we have laid out in our checklist for assessing schools, you’ll be able to filter your options so that you can make an educated decision. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, you can eventually become a licensed professional in your chosen trade.
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Geeknet
Geeknet, Inc. is a Fairfax County, Virginia–based company that owns the online retailer ThinkGeek and is a subsidiary of GameStop.[3] The company was formerly known as VA Research, VA Linux Systems, VA Software, and SourceForge, Inc.. It was founded in 1993 and was formerly headquartered in Mountain View, California.[1]
VA Research was founded in November 1993[1] by Stanford University graduate student Larry Augustin and James Vera. Augustin was a Stanford colleague of Jerry Yang and David Filo, the founders of Yahoo!.[4] VA Research was one of the first vendors to build and sell personal computer systems installed with the Linux operating system, as an alternative to more expensive Unix workstations that were available at the time.[5] During its initial years of operation, the business was profitable and grew quickly, with over $100 million in sales and a 10% profit margin in 1998. It was the largest vendor of pre-installed Linux computers, with approximately 20% of the Linux hardware market.[5]
In March and April 1999, VA Research purchased Enlightenment Solutions, marketing company Electric Lichen L.L.C., and VA's top competitor, Linux Hardware Solutions.[5] That year, VA Research also won a business-plan competition for the right to operate the linux.com domain.[4] In May 1999, VA created a Linux Labs division, hiring former linux.com domain holder and programmer Fred van Kempen, and programmers Jon "maddog" Hall, Geoff "Mandrake" Harrison, Jeremy Allison, Richard Morrell (who would later create Smoothwall as a project at VA Linux) and San "nettwerk" Mehat.[4] In the summer of 1999, programmers Tony Guntharp, Uriah Welcome, Tim Perdue and Drew Streib began designing and developing SourceForge. SourceForge was released to the public at Comdex on November 17, 1999. VA began porting Linux to the new IA-64 processor architecture in earnest. Intel and Sequoia, along with Silicon Graphics and other investors, added an additional $25 million investment in June 1999.[6]
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