How to Select the Best Electrician Vocational School near Cortland Illinois
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Cortland IL. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are so many factors to consider. For example, many students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have located some that are within driving range, they will decide on the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications that must be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final decision when selecting an electrician school. We will address that checklist in more detail later in this post. But first, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are available.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options
There are three general ways to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Cortland IL. You may enroll in a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by most states in order to be licensed or if you intend to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the three most common programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are usually offered by Illinois technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are aimed towards individuals who wish to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees take 2 years to complete and are provided by Illinois community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to join their apprenticeship program.
As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at certain Illinois institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically four years be performed before licensing. Because of that, most students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician Certification and Licensing Requirements
Electricians in Cortland IL can carry out a wide range of functions, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around four to five years of experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly assess electrical theory and general knowledge, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be earned in several specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually involves three levels of proficiency:
- An experience requirement
- Passing a written exam
- Passing a practical exam
Examples of certifying agencies 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 trade school that you choose not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to pass in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online
A possibility that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more convenient choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Driving expenses from Cortland IL are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these advantages can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.
Things to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Once you have decided to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the Cortland IL region, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. 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 must be a feature that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to research prior to selecting an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make sure that the Cortland IL school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states require that the electrician training course be accredited for it to qualify 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate could indicate that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It could 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 graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Cortland IL graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with Cortland IL area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form 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 state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Cortland IL electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Cortland residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees 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 sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to several of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees 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 go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Cortland IL, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.
How Can I Become An Electrician Cortland Illinois
Choosing the best electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. You originally came to this website due to an interest in How Can I Become An Electrician and wanting more information on the topic Education Needed To Be An Electrician. But as we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrical tech school that you are considering includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and degree or certificate will best serve your needs. Each training program offers different options for certification also. Probably The ideal way to research your final list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the faculty and students. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you select 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 Cortland IL.
More Electric Locations in Illinois
Cortland, Illinois
Cortland is an incorporated town in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,270 at the 2010 census, up from 2,066 in 2000. Because of its status as an incorporated town, Cortland has adopted the slogan, "The Third Largest Town in Illinois". Only the towns of Cicero and Normal are larger, in terms of population.
According to the 2010 census, Cortland has a total area of 3.638 square miles (9.42 km2), of which 3.63 square miles (9.40 km2) (or 99.78%) is land and 0.008 square miles (0.02 km2) (or 0.22%) is water.[7] The town is located immediately east of the city of DeKalb and just south of the city of Sycamore.
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 2,066 people, 701 households, and 553 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,176.3 people per square mile (453.2/km²). There were 723 housing units at an average density of 411.6 per square mile (158.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.11% White, 1.21% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.26% Asian, 0.97% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.40% of the population.
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