How to Enroll in the Best Vocational School Training near Blair West Virginia

Deciding to work in a new profession and enroll in a trade school near Blair WV are important decisions that will profoundly influence your long term career. However with so many trade schools to select from, exactly how do you undertake locating the ideal one? Not only do you need to make sure that you will obtain the extensive training required to be successful in your new occupation, but also that the school is reputable and well regarded. A number of students make the mistake of choosing a trade school just because the campus is closest to their home or where the work. Or they may gravitate to the school that has the lowest tuition. Naturally the cost and location of the training are important factors when assessing vocational school options, but they can not be the sole ones. Other variables including accreditation and the reputation of the schools are critical as well. So prior to beginning your evaluations and comparing trade schools, you must know what questions to ask in order to get the information to make a final choice. We will address a few of those questions shortly in this post. But first, let’s talk about some of the trade options that are available including the accessibility of online programs.

Vocational School Career Options near Blair WV

There are a number of professions to pick from in vocational schools that offer rewarding and high paying careers. Maybe you have already decided on one that you have for years desired to pursue. For instance, maybe you have always enjoyed working on your car and have thought about using that ability to make a living as an auto mechanic. Or perhaps a member of the family has had a long and successful career in a certain vocation or trade and you would like to follow in his or her footsteps. Whatever your inspiration is for entering a trade, there is undoubtedly a program offered that will provide the training you need. Following is just a small representation of the trade school programs that are offered in the Blair WV area.

• Auto Mechanic
• Heating and Cooling (HVAC) Tech
• Plumbing
• Electrician
• Welding
• Truck Driver
• Aircraft Maintenance Tech
• Lab Technician
• Construction Management

Each of the programs will have varying completion times and costs depending on the vocation, type of credential and school. A number of the programs may be completed in just weeks, while others will require months or even 2 or more years of instruction. Each of these variables should be taken into account prior to choosing a vocation and school.

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Online Trade Schools

Schools available online have become more attractive with Blair WV students and a growing number of accredited programs are being offered. While online learning is a readily available and practical way to earn a certificate or degree, it might not be the best 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 have to be mastered through hands on training and by doing it, not by studying or watching videos. But certain elements of the training may be suitable for online classes, for instance learning safety and driving guidelines for trucking schools or studying metallurgy or how to read blueprints for welding schools. Many programs will blend online education with on campus lab work, such as for electrician or welding schools. So it is crucial to find out before choosing an online program for any trade if there is an appropriate amount of practical training allocated to the curriculum. One means to help ensure that a trade school program is both suitable for online education and provides comprehensive practical training is to verify that it’s accredited by a nationally acknowledged accrediting agency (more on accreditation later). For those trades that are suitable for training online, it can be a practical way for individuals with time constraints to acquire a new vocation.

Questions to Ask Trade School Programs

As soon as you have selected the trade and type of degree or certificate that you desire to attain, either online or on campus, you can start to narrow down your list of schools. As you are probably aware, there are many trade schools in the  Blair WV area and across the Country to select from. That’s why it is imperative to have a checklist of relevant qualifications when making school comparisons. As formerly stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will probably be the first 2 aspects you will look at. Following are several additional ones that you will want to explore before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation.  Numerous Blair WV area technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance HVAC technology. Make certain that the program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many states require that the  training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing where applicable.

How Long in Operation? One clue to help assess the quality of a trade school near Blair WV is how long it has been in operation. A negatively ranked or a fly by night school typically will not be in business very long, so longevity is a big plus. On the other hand, even the best of schools had to begin from their first day of training, so use it as one of several qualifiers.

 Completion Rates.  Ask the trade 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 program. A low completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It might also signify that the instructors were not competent 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 result in more contacts for the school to use 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 additionally that it has the network of contacts to help students obtain apprenticeships or employment in the Blair WV area.

Apprenticeship Programs.  Many trade programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of companies or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Blair WV area contractors in the field. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Blair WV contractor if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes.   It’s important that you get as much individualized training 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 see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is in West Virginia and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling.  Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Blair WV, check that the programs you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.

Vocational Schools For Plumbers Blair West Virginia

Enrolling in the ideal trade school near Blair WV is an important first step toward a fulfilling career in the vocation of your choice. As we have discussed in this post, you need to pick a technical school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. Other things to search for are lots of hands-on training and modern facilities. You should visit 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 teaching and the interaction between them. In addition, inquire about scheduling choices and whether night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And don’t forget to inquire about financial assistance and student loan options also. You initially came to this website because of your interest in Vocational Schools For Plumbers and wanting more information on the topic Vocational Training College. However, if you ask the appropriate questions as we have detailed in our guidelines for evaluating schools, you’ll be able to filter your choices so that you can make an informed decision. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed professional in your chosen trade.

Other West Virginia Hard Working Locations

 

Battle of Blair Mountain

The conflict occurred in Logan County, West Virginia, as part of the Coal Wars, a series of early-20th-century labor disputes in Appalachia. Tensions rose between workers and mine management, and for five days from late August to early September 1921, some 10,000 armed coal miners confronted 3,000 lawmen and strikebreakers, called the Logan Defenders,[4] who were backed by coal mine operators during the miners' attempt to unionize the southwestern West Virginia coalfields. The battle ended after approximately one million rounds were fired[5] and the United States Army intervened by presidential order.[6] Up to 100 people were killed, and many more arrested. The United Mine Workers saw major declines in membership, but the long-term publicity led to some improvements in working conditions.

On May 19, 1920, 12 Baldwin-Felts agents, including Lee Felts, arrived in Matewan, West Virginia and promptly met with Albert Felts, who was already in the area. Albert and Lee were the brothers of Thomas Felts, the co-owner and director of the agency. Albert had already been in the area and had tried to bribe Mayor Testerman with $500 to place machine guns on roofs in the town; Testerman refused.[7] That afternoon Albert and Lee along with 11 other men set out to the Stone Mountain Coal Co. property. The first family they evicted was a woman and her children; the woman's husband was not home at the time. They forced them out at gunpoint and threw their belongings in the road under a light but steady rain. The miners who saw it were furious, and sent word to town.[8]

As the agents walked to the train station to leave town, Police Chief Sid Hatfield and a group of deputized miners confronted them and told them they were under arrest. Albert Felts replied that in fact he had a warrant for Hatfield's arrest.[9] Testerman was alerted, and he ran out into the street after a miner shouted that Sid had been arrested. Hatfield backed into the store and Testerman asked to see the warrant. After reviewing it, the mayor exclaimed, "This is a bogus warrant." With these words, a gunfight erupted and Hatfield shot Albert Felts. Testerman and Albert and Lee Felts were among the ten men killed (three from the town and seven from the agency).[9]

 

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