How to Select the Best Electrician Tech School near Riverdale Illinois
The initial step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Riverdale IL. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are a number of points to evaluate. For instance, some potential students will begin by searching for schools that are nearby their home. When they have identified some that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the cheapest tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the sole factors that must be evaluated. Also critical are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, in addition to their graduation and job placement rates. These and other qualifiers should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician trade school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are offered.
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Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Programs
There are several ways to receive electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Riverdale IL. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or obtain an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to become licensed or if you would like to earn certification. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most prevalent programs available.
- Certificate and Diploma Programs are typically provided by Illinois technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They provide a solid foundation and are aimed towards students who wish to get into an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
- Associate Degrees require 2 years to complete and are offered by Illinois community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more extensive education while providing the foundation that prepares students to enter into their apprenticeship program.
As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are accessible at certain Illinois institutions, but are less popular at 4 years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be carried out before licensing. Therefore, many students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.
Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements
Electricians in Riverdale IL can carry out a wide range of services, such as testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly about four to five years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually assess general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional way for an electrician to distinguish him or herself as a experienced and skilled professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be obtained in numerous specialties, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process in most cases entails 3 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 crucial that the electrician trade school that you choose not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might need to take in the future.
Attending Electrician Training Classes Online
A possibility that you may have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require partial attendance on-campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, distance learning might be a more accommodating option for individuals that have minimal time for schooling. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Commuting expenses from Riverdale IL are also minimized and a portion of the study materials may be available online also. Each of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more economical and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our due diligence checklist.
Points to Ask Electrician Tech Schools
Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Since there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Riverdale IL region, it’s imperative to have a checklist of criteria that each program must meet. The first two that we discussed were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are additional variables that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before enrolling in an electrical vocational school.
Accreditation. Many electrician technical programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance electrical technology. Confirm that the Riverdale IL program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you get a superior education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.
High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It could also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which can result in more contacts for the school to utilize 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 field, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to help Riverdale IL students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.
Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrician companies or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Riverdale IL area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.
Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Riverdale IL electrical contractor if they can give you some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Riverdale home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.
Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with some of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.
Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Riverdale IL, verify that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.
Electrician School Riverdale Illinois
Picking the right electrical trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new profession. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Electrician School and wanting more information on the topic Electrical Tech Schools. But as we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to evaluate and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are considering includes a considerable amount of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to provide a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs vary in duration and the type of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to go to each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Riverdale IL.
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Riverdale, Illinois
According to the 2010 census, Riverdale has a total area of 3.745 square miles (9.70 km2), of which 3.57 square miles (9.25 km2) (or 95.33%) is land and 0.175 square miles (0.45 km2) (or 4.67%) is water.[11]
As of the 2010 census, there were 13,549 people, 4,595 households, and 3,204 families residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 4.9% White, 94.9% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population.
There were 4,595 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.8% were married couples living together, 37.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.3% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.50.
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