Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Lemont IL 60439

How to Become an Electrician in Lemont Illinois

Lemont IL electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Lemont IL. But with numerous technical schools to pick from, just how do you tackle making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are a number of factors to evaluate. For example, many students will begin by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have located some that are within commuting distance, they will select the one with the cheapest tuition. Even though cost and location are significant, they are not the sole things that should be examined. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should help mold your ultimate decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the instructional options that are accessible.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Lemont IL

Lemont IL electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general approaches to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Lemont IL. You can select a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three alternatives. Frequently these programs are made available together with an apprenticeship, which are required by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you would like to become certified. Following are brief descriptions of the 3 most typical programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by Illinois technical and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards students who want to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees take two years to finish and are offered by Illinois community colleges, commonly as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more extensive education while supplying the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Illinois institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Most states require that an apprenticeship of no less than 2 years and more typically 4 years be performed before licensing. For that reason, most students are eager to commence their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Lemont IL electricians working on power lines Electricians in Lemont IL can carry out a multitude of functions, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After finishing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in most states or municipalities. The duration of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally about four to five years of experience is required in order to take the licensing examination. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional way for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be obtained in several specialties, such as 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you pick not only furnishes a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Programs Online in Lemont IL

attending electrician school online in Lemont IL An option that you may have considered is choosing an online electrician school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online training programs have become more popular as a means 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 receive hands-on practical training. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, internet learning may be a more practical option for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Travelling costs from Lemont IL are also lessened and some of the study materials can be available on line as well. All of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Lemont IL electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have made a decision to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Because there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the Lemont IL region, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The first 2 that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be important when making your selection, there are additional factors that need to be taken into account as well. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research before selecting an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools 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 an individual program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the Lemont IL school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you acquire an excellent education, it may help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited for it 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate might indicate that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It may also indicate 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 broader list of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to utilize 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 industry, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Lemont IL grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician companies or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Lemont IL area electricians or electrical companies. 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 area electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed 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, talk to the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Lemont IL electrical contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Lemont residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Lemont IL, verify that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Lemont IL?

Following is a little bit of background information about the Lemont IL area.

Lemont, Illinois

Lemont is a village located in Cook, DuPage, and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, and is a suburb of Chicago. The population was 16,000 as of the 2010 census. Lemont is home to Argonne National Laboratory and other heavy industrial sites, and has a substantial European immigrant population.

Lemont was originally known as Keepataw (after a Potawatomi chief) and a post office was established in 1840 as Keepatau. After that, it was named Athens and then Palmyra. The name Lemont (literally, 'the mountain' in French) was chosen in 1850 at the suggestion of Lemuel Brown, the postmaster and justice of the peace, or perhaps by his brother Nathaniel Brown.[3]

Before white settlers arrived in Lemont, Native Americans traveled the Des Plaines River in birch bark canoes on trading trips between the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan. The native Potawatomi lived off the land in this area, directly using natural resources for food, shelter, clothing and medicine. In the 18th century, French voyageurs traveled down the Des Plaines River, trading Native Americans metal, beads and cloth for animal furs and changing the Native American lifestyle forever.

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Pick the Ideal Electrician Trade School near Lemont IL

Selecting the best electrician trade school will probably be the most important decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to evaluate and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a necessity that any electrical tech school that you are reviewing includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes need to be small in size and each student should 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 length and the type of credential offered, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each program offers different options for certification as well. Perhaps The ideal approach to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to attend a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Lemont IL.