How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Tech School near Granite City Illinois
The first step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Granite City IL. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the ideal one? Particularly because there are so many factors to evaluate. For example, some prospective students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have located several that are within driving range, they will select the one with the most affordable tuition. Although location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications that must be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are several options to obtain electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Granite City IL. You may select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as common as the other three alternatives. Often these programs are offered combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you wish to earn certification. Bellow are short explanations of the 3 most typical programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Illinois trade and technical schools and take about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to join an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are offered by Illinois community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Illinois colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out prior to licensing. Because of that, many students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Granite City IL can carry out a multitude of services, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but normally about four to five years of experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be earned in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases involves three levels of proficiency:
- 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 important that the electrician trade school that you select not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs
An alternative that you might have considered is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. While online schools are becoming more prevalent as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more practical alternative for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional competitors. Commuting expenses from Granite City IL are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be available on line as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online tech schools more affordable and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Now that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Granite City IL region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must satisfy. The first two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your selection, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Make sure that the Granite City 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 an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify 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 percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate could suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It could also suggest that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, 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 validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Granite City IL students secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with Granite City IL area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Granite City IL electrical contracting company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Granite City residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to several of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Granite City IL, check that the programs you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make 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, illness or family responsibilities.
Electrical College Granite City Illinois
Choosing the right electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrical College and wanting more information on the topic Online Electrical Certificate Programs. But as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world context, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses vary in duration and the type of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Probably the best approach to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you pick is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Granite City IL.
More Electric Locations in Illinois
Granite City, Illinois
Granite City is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States, within the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. The population was 29,849 at the 2010 census, making it the second-largest city in the Metro East and Southern Illinois regions, behind Belleville. Officially founded in 1896, Granite City was named by the Niedringhaus brothers, William and Frederick, who established it as a steel making company town for the manufacture of kitchen utensils made to resemble granite.
The area was settled much earlier than Granite City's official founding. In the early 19th century, settlers began to farm the rich fertile grounds to the east of St. Louis. Around 1801, the area saw the establishment of Six Mile Settlement, a farming area that occupied the area of present-day Granite City, six miles (10 km) from St. Louis.[3] Soon after, around 1806, the National Road was to be constructed through the area, but it was never completed.[3] By 1817, the area became known as Six Mile Prairie, to distinguish it from Six Mile Township.[3] By 1854, the first railroad was built.[4] In 1856, the area known as Six Mile would be changed to Kinder.[4]
Granite City was founded in 1896 to be a planned company city similar to Pullman, Illinois, by German immigrant brothers Frederick G. and William Niedringhaus for their Granite ware kitchen supplies factory.
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