How to Enroll in the Best Electrician Training School near Homer Illinois
The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Homer IL. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are so many factors to consider. For example, some students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have identified some that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the lowest tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole factors that must be considered. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final judgment when choosing an electrician school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are offered.
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Electrician Diploma, Certificate and Degree Options
There are multiple ways to receive electrician instruction in a technical or vocational school near Homer IL. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Bellow are short explanations of the 3 most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Illinois technical and trade schools and take about a year to complete. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are offered by Illinois community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at some 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 carried out before licensing. Therefore, many students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.
Electrician License and Certification Criteria
Electricians in Homer IL can carry out a vast array of duties, including 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 become licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally around 4 to 5 years of practical experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and may be earned in various specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves three 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only delivers a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you might be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
An alternative that you may have looked at is choosing an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require partial attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning may be a more practical choice for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Travelling costs from Homer IL are also minimized and some of the study materials may be available online also. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and convenient. And a number are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Homer IL region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each program must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are other variables that must be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze before choosing an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Make sure that the Homer IL school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are looking at 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 could suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It could also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high 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 utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Homer IL grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with Homer IL area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Homer IL electrical company if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Homer home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm 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 Homer IL, check that the schools you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.
Certified Electrician Training Homer Illinois
Picking the right 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 Certified Electrician Training and wanting more information on the topic How Many Years Of School To Become An Electrician. But as we have discussed in this article, there are many factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a necessity that any electrician tech school that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world context, and the training program should be current and in-line with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers unique possibilities for certification also. Probably the best way to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Homer IL.
More Electric Locations in Illinois
Homer, Illinois
Homer grew from a settlement named Union, which was on the Fort Clark or State Road running between Danville and Urbana, nearly three miles north of the present town. Union was little more than several cabins built in 1829-30, but it served as a post office and meeting place in what was Vermilion County prior to the creation of Champaign County in 1833. Moses Thomas, a native of Pennsylvania, built a mill on the Salt Fork creek southeast of Union in 1834 and began to mill grain. A young merchant traveling from Indiana, Michael Doctor Coffeen, built a store adjacent to the mill, and with Thomas created the village of Homer on January 26, 1837. The post office was moved to Homer with M. D. Coffeen as postmaster in 1841.
Homer grew to 120 people in 1850, and the coming of the Great Western Railroad to the south of the town prompted the village to move to its present location. In February 1855, the town's 32 buildings were dragged 1.5 miles south by 18 teams of oxen. The village became a stop on the railway, later named the Wabash Railroad, becoming the center of agriculture in eastern Champaign County.
In 1905, the town became the location for Homer Park, an amusement park on the Illinois Traction System interurban line. Homer Park, north of the village on the Salt Fork creek, offered swimming, food, baseball, movies and even a small zoo. The park closed in 1937 after flooding and poor management.
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