Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Melrose Park IL 60160

How to Become an Electrician in Melrose Park Illinois

Melrose Park IL electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is locating an electrician trade school near Melrose Park IL. But with so many vocational schools to select from, just how do you tackle making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially since there are a number of factors to evaluate. For example, some students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. When they have found several that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the least expensive tuition. Even though cost and location are significant, they are not the only factors that should be evaluated. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final judgment when picking an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in more detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training choices that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Options near Melrose Park IL

Melrose Park IL electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general ways to get electrician training in a vocational or trade school near Melrose Park IL. You can choose a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Often these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are mandated by most states to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are short explanations of the three most common programs offered.

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

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at some Illinois institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically four years be carried out prior to licensing. Because of that, the majority of students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their educational program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements

Melrose Park IL electricians working on power lines Electricians in Melrose Park IL can undertake a wide range of tasks, including testing, installing and replacing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to become licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but typically about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is required before taking the licensing examination. The exams typically test general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional method for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and may be obtained in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 3 levels of proficiency:

An experience requirement
Passing a written exam
Passing a practical exam

Examples of certifying organizations include the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s imperative that the electrician trade school that you choose not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you might be required to pass in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Programs in Melrose Park IL

attending electrician school online in Melrose Park IL An option that you might have considered is choosing an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not totally internet based. Virtually all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the rest of the classes may be attended online, distance learning may be a more practical choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online degree programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on-campus counterparts. Travelling expenses from Melrose Park IL are also reduced and a portion of the study materials may be accessed 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 Training Schools

Melrose Park IL electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to narrow down your school options. Considering that there are so many electrician vocational and trade schools in the Melrose Park IL area, it’s important to have a checklist of qualifications that each program must meet. The first 2 that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to assess prior to choosing an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Melrose Park IL program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get a superior education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, many states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to qualify 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 or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also mean that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory 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 will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to help Melrose Park IL graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrical contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with Melrose Park IL area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are already 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 Melrose Park IL electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Melrose Park residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Melrose Park IL, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Melrose Park IL?

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

Melrose Park, Illinois

Melrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb of Chicago,14 miles by road. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 25,411.[3] Melrose Park had long been home to a large Italian-American population.

The suburb was the home of Kiddieland Amusement Park from 1929 until 2010 (it closed in September 2009 before it was demolished in June 2010), the Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Stern Pinball, Inc., which is now the world's last manufacturer of coin-operated pinball machines, and the Melrose Park Taste home of the famous Melrose Stuffed Peppers.

According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, in 1882 residents of a then-unincorporated portion of Proviso Township voted to establish their own municipality—called simply "Melrose" until 1893, when the "Park" was added—and population in the area began to steadily increase. The first Italian-Americans arrived in 1888. On April 19, 1920, the F4 Palm Sunday tornado cut a 328-foot-wide (100 m) path over 1,094 yards (1,000 m) through the village and killed ten people. It destroyed the Sacred Heart Church and attached convent.[4]

The location could not be found.

Find the Right Electrician Technical School near Melrose Park IL

Selecting the ideal electrical training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new profession. As we have discussed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to evaluate and compare between the schools you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education should provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be current and in-line with industry standards. Programs differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Every program provides different options for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to monitor some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the right one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the end result will be a new career as a professional electrician in Melrose Park IL.