How to Find the Best Electrician Trade School near Gifford Illinois
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Gifford IL. But with numerous vocational schools to pick from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are so many factors to examine. For example, many potential students will begin by searching for schools that are close to their home. Once they have located several that are within commuting distance, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the only things that must be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final decision when picking an electrician training school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are available.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are several approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Gifford IL. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Often these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the three most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Illinois technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards those who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve 2 years to complete and are provided by Illinois community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Illinois colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed before licensing. Therefore, many students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Guidelines
Electricians in Gifford IL can carry out a wide range of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional method for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be acquired in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases includes three levels of competency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you choose not only delivers a strong educational foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online
An alternative that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online school to earn a certificate or degree. Although online schools are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning can be a more accommodating alternative for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus many online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Commuting expenses from Gifford IL are also minimized and some of the study materials may be accessed online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more economical and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
When you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Gifford IL region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are additional factors that must be considered as well. Following is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the Gifford IL school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools 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 could indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to employ 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 field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Gifford IL graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Gifford IL area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Gifford IL electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Gifford home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Talk to a few of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Gifford IL, verify that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Accredited Electrician Schools Online Gifford Illinois
Picking the best electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Accredited Electrician Schools Online and wanting more information on the topic Online Electrician Classes. But as we have covered in this article, there are many things that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and every student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every training program provides different options for certification also. Probably The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the teachers and students. Invest some time to attend some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you select is the best one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Gifford IL.
More Electric Locations in Illinois
Gifford, Illinois
As of the 2000 Census,[7] there were 815 people, 301 households, and 222 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,288.2 people per square mile (499.5/km²). There were 316 housing units at an average density of 499.5 per square mile (193.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.79% White, 0.98% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race comprised 0.37% of the population.
There were 301 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the village, the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 9
1 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
7 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
3 Reviews 