How to Choose the Best Electrician Technical School near Oak Brook Illinois
The first step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Oak Brook IL. But with numerous technical schools to choose from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the right one? Particularly because there are a number of points to examine. For example, many prospective students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. When they have identified a few that are within commuting range, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. While location and cost are of importance, they are not the sole qualifications that should be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your ultimate judgment when choosing an electrician 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 choices that are offered.
Click Here to Get Free Information on Electrician Schools Near You!
Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are several approaches to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near Oak Brook IL. You may choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to earn certification. Bellow are short summaries of the three most common programs offered.
- Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by Illinois technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees involve two years to complete and are offered by Illinois junior or community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.
As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Illinois colleges, but are less popular at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and in most cases four years be performed before licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.
Electrician License and Certification Prerequisites
Electricians in Oak Brook IL can undertake a vast array of services, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The length of apprenticeship differs by state, but generally around 4 to 5 years of experience is called for before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be acquired in many specialties, such as 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 agencies 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 choose not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may be required to take in the future.
Enrolling in Electrician Programs Online
A possibility that you might have contemplated is selecting an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to get practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more accommodating option for students that have minimal time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Driving expenses from Oak Brook IL are also reduced and some of the study materials can be available online as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will deal with in our questions to ask checklist.
Questions to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools
Now that you have made a decision to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Oak Brook IL region, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an degree online, then that needs to be a feature that your final school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other variables that need to be taken into account as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to enrolling in an electrical trade school.
Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Oak Brook IL school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get a quality education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states mandate that the electrician training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It could also mean that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high 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 confirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Oak Brook IL students acquire apprenticeships or employment.
Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician training programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Oak Brook IL area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical technician you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Oak Brook IL electrical contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Oak Brook residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger 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 to a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.
Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Oak Brook IL, verify that the programs you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.
Electrician Certification Training Oak Brook Illinois
Picking the ideal electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to launch your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician Certification Training and wanting more information on the topic Electrician Courses Near Me. But as we have addressed in this article, there are a number of factors that you will need to examine and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are examining includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be smaller in size and every student must have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world frame of reference, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to decide what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Probably The ideal means to research your short list of schools is to go to each campus and talk with the students and instructors. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Oak Brook IL.
More Electric Locations in Illinois
Oak Brook, Illinois
Oak Brook is a village in DuPage County with a small portion in Cook County in Illinois. The population was 7,883 at the 2010 census.[4] A suburb of Chicago, Oak Brook serves as home to the headquarters of several notable companies and organizations including McDonald's (now moved to Chicago), Ace Hardware, Blistex, Ferrara Candy (also moved to Chicago), Federal Signal, CenterPoint Properties, Sanford L.P., TreeHouse Foods, and Lions Clubs International.
Oak Brook was incorporated as a village in 1958, due in large part to the efforts of Paul Butler, a prominent civic leader and landowner whose father had first moved to the vicinity in 1898 and opened a dairy farm shortly thereafter. Prior to incorporation, the name Oak Brook was used by local residents to distinguish their community from neighboring Hinsdale and Elmhurst, going back to the founding of the Oak Brook Civic Association almost two decades earlier.[6]
The original boundaries were smaller than the present extent of the village, but a considerable amount of land was annexed soon after the founding of the village, including the land that is now the site of the Oakbrook Center shopping mall, which opened in 1962.
Business Results 1 - 10 of 507
163 Reviews 
13 Reviews 
5 Reviews 
17 Reviews 
19 Reviews 
7 Reviews 
26 Reviews 
3 Reviews 
15 Reviews 
2 Reviews 