How to Enroll in the Right Electrician Trade School near Tinley Park Illinois
The initial step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Tinley Park IL. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially because there are a number of factors to consider. For instance, some potential students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their home. When they have located several that are within driving range, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though location and cost are significant, they are not the sole qualifications that need to be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should contribute toward your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational choices that are accessible.
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Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs
There are several options to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near Tinley Park 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 first three options. Frequently these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you want to become certified. Bellow are brief descriptions of the three most common programs offered.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally provided by Illinois technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to complete. They furnish a good foundation and are geared towards those who would like to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degree Programs involve two years to finish and are provided by Illinois junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded 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 preferred at 4 years than the other briefer programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Tinley Park IL can undertake a multitude of duties, such as installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but typically around four to five years of experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and may be earned in several specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually entails 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician vocational school that you select not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might be required to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
A possibility that you might have looked at is selecting an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Although online schools have become more prevalent as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician training programs require partial attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, distance learning can be a more accommodating option for students that have limited time for education. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Travelling expenses from Tinley Park IL are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online trade schools more economical and accessible. And a number are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools
When you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Tinley Park IL region, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The initial 2 that we mentioned were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your selection, there are other variables that need to be taken into account 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 technical programs have received 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 relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Tinley Park IL program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you obtain an excellent education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many 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 percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also mean that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also essential 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 use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Tinley Park IL graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician technical programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical programs 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 Tinley Park IL area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Tinley Park IL electrical company if they can provide some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Tinley Park home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with some of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Tinley Park IL, confirm that the schools you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.
Technical Schools For Electricians Tinley Park Illinois
Selecting the right electrician trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Technical Schools For Electricians and wanting more information on the topic Accredited Electrical Certification Training. But as we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a necessity that any electrical training that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be current and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the type of credential offered, so you will have to ascertain what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Every program provides different possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you decide on is the best one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Tinley Park IL.
More Electric Locations in Illinois
Tinley Park, Illinois
Tinley Park is a village located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Will County. The population was 56,703 at the 2010 census.[4] It is one of the fastest growing suburbs south of Chicago. In 2009, Tinley Park was selected by BusinessWeek[5] as the best place to raise a family in America. In 2017, Tinley Park was listed as one of the 50 safest cities in America.[6]
Settlement of the area which now comprises Tinley Park began in the 1820s by emigrants from the Eastern United States. German settlers became predominant in area by the 1840s, and the village was originally established in 1853 as "Bremen". Irish, English, Scottish, Canadian, and other American settlers were also common in the area.[7]
In the late 19th century, railroads expanded rapidly, and the village happened to be located on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad line. The influence of the railroad on Bremen was so great that, in 1890, its name was changed to Tinley Park in honor of the village's first railroad station agent, Samuel Tinley, Sr. Even the village's official incorporation took place at the train depot on June 27, 1892.
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