How to Select the Right Electrician Tech School near Fairfield Illinois
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Fairfield IL. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of variables to examine. For example, some students will start by looking for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have identified a few that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the only factors that should be examined. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should help mold your final decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional choices that are available.
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Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options
There are multiple options to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Fairfield IL. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Following are brief descriptions of the three most prevalent programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Illinois vocational and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who wish to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve two years to finish and are provided by Illinois community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Illinois colleges, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be performed before licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Fairfield IL can carry out a vast array of functions, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically around four to five years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing examination. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be obtained in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes 3 levels of competency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician vocational school that you enroll in not only provides a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Schools Online
An alternative that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this instance they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes may be accessed online, internet learning might be a more convenient option for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Commuting costs from Fairfield IL are also reduced and some of the study materials may be accessed online as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our due diligence checklist.
What to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
When you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to refine your school options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Fairfield IL area, 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 online degree, 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 factors that need to be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze before enrolling in an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Fairfield IL school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you receive a quality education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or 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 mean that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory 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 also that it has the network of contacts to assist Fairfield IL grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with Fairfield IL area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Fairfield IL electrical company if they can provide some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Fairfield home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable 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 instructors. Talk to several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Fairfield IL, confirm that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Electrical Technician Diploma Fairfield Illinois
Picking the ideal electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical Technician Diploma and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Training Online. But as we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician tech school that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and every student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to ascertain what length of program and certificate or degree will best serve your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification also. Probably The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Fairfield IL.
More Electric Locations in Illinois
Fairfield, Illinois
Fairfield is most famous for being the hometown of the "friendly" people, and the Shelton Brothers Gang; notorious bootleggers who fought it out with the Harrisburg, Illinois based Birger Gang to control criminal activities in Southern Illinois. During the first half of the 20th century gang leaders Carl, Earl and Bernie Shelton made Fairfield a household name. Based on testimony of Charlie Birger himself, the Shelton Brothers were convicted for a 1925 unsolved mail carrier robbery of $15,000 and were sentenced to 25 years. They were released a few years later. Birger dominated bootlegging in Southern Illinois until he himself was hanged in Benton for the murder of West City Mayor Joe Adams in 1928. After serving their time, the Shelton brothers built a new criminal empire. Based out of East St Louis, one of the most prosperous cities of its day, they controlled all vice from Peoria and southward.
They met their demise at the hands of the Chicago mob and an insider Charles "Blackie" Harris. A land dispute led to Blackie joining forces with the Mob to kill off members of the Shelton gang. His most notable victim was Carl Shelton, the leader. He was ambushed several miles southeast of Fairfield, shot from his Jeep. Bernie was killed at his Peoria roadhouse. Earl moved to Jacksonville, Florida and became a successful land speculator.
Senator William Borah, the "Lion of Idaho," was born in Fairfield. Fairfield was the hometown of Kenneth Michael Kays, recipient of the Medal of Honor for heroism[4] during the Vietnam War, and Country music singer-songwriter Lance Miller. Carroll C. Boggs, Illinois Supreme Court justice was born in Fairfield. Drue Pearce, Alaska state legislator, was born in Fairfield.[5]
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