How to Select the Best Electrician Technical School near Rantoul Illinois
The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Rantoul IL. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the ideal one? Especially since there are so many factors to evaluate. For example, some prospective students will start by looking for schools that are close to their home. When they have identified a few that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the lowest tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the sole things that must be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should help mold your ultimate judgment when picking an electrician training school. We will talk about that checklist in more detail later in this article. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are offered.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs
There are several ways to get electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near Rantoul IL. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Bellow are short explanations of the three most typical programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually provided by Illinois trade and technical schools and require about a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who would like to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to complete and are provided by Illinois community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at some Illinois institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be carried out before licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Rantoul IL can undertake a wide range of duties, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around 4 to 5 years of experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be obtained in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you pick not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to pass in the future.
Attending Electrician Online Programs
An alternative that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools are becoming more accepted as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not totally internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning might be a more practical choice for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Travelling costs from Rantoul IL are also reduced 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 many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
When you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Since there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Rantoul IL area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial 2 that we talked about 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 while all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to assess before choosing an electrical tech school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire 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 Rantoul IL school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you receive an excellent education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of 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 looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It might also mean that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which can 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 Rantoul IL grads acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Rantoul IL area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school 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, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Rantoul IL electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Rantoul residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher 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 sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Rantoul IL, verify that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.
Electrician Certification Schools Rantoul Illinois
Selecting the right electrician trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to launch your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Certification Schools and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Degree Online. But as we have covered in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to assess and compare among the schools you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrician training that you are assessing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom teaching should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps The ideal means to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Take the time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Rantoul IL.
More Electric Locations in Illinois
Rantoul, Illinois
Rantoul is a village in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,941 at the 2010 census. The current mayor is Chuck Smith, who was elected in 2013. The community was named after Robert Rantoul, Jr., a U.S. representative from Massachusetts, and a director of the Illinois Central Railroad.[4][5]
In 1917, Rantoul was chosen by the United States Army to be the site of Chanute Field,[6] due to its proximity to the Illinois Central railroad and the War Department’s ground school at the University of Illinois. In the 1930s, Chanute Field grew, dominating the local economy as thousands of airmen were stationed there to train recruits. Renamed Chanute Air Force Base after World War II, it was closed in 1993, but was partly reoccupied by the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum , which was permanently closed on December 30, 2015, and the Rantoul National Aviation Center. Rantoul's economy has taken a sharp decline due to the base's closing, from which it has never recovered. The book Eye of the Storm: Chanute Closes by Katy B. Podagrosi tells the story of this period.
According to the 2010 census, Rantoul has a total area of 8.259 square miles (21.39 km2), of which 8.15 square miles (21.11 km2) (or 98.68%) is land and 0.109 square miles (0.28 km2) (or 1.32%) is water.[8]
Business Results 1 - 10 of 10
1 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
7 Reviews 
2 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
4 Reviews 
1 Reviews 
3 Reviews 2 Reviews 