Find Electrician Schools Near Me in New Lenox IL 60451

How to Become an Electrician in New Lenox Illinois

New Lenox IL electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is finding an electrician trade school near New Lenox IL. But with numerous vocational schools to select from, just how do you undertake making sure that you enroll in the best one? Especially because there are a number of points to examine. For instance, many students will commence by searching for schools that are nearby their residence. After they have found a few that are within driving range, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the sole factors that need to be considered. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, along with their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician training school. We will cover that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about being an electrician and the training options that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near New Lenox IL

New Lenox IL electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to receive electrician instruction in a trade or technical school near New Lenox IL. You can choose a certificate or diploma program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as prevalent as the first three options. In many cases these programs are made available in conjunction with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the 3 most typical programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally provided by Illinois vocational and trade schools and require about a year to complete. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards students who want to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs take two years to finish and are provided by Illinois community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more comprehensive education while providing the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at certain Illinois institutions, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. Many states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and more typically 4 years be completed prior to licensing. Therefore, many students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their educational program.

Electrician License and Certification Guidelines

New Lenox IL electricians working on power lines Electricians in New Lenox IL can undertake a multitude of tasks, including 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 the majority of municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but commonly around four to five years of practical experience is required before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, along with knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to distinguish her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be obtained in various specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases includes 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician trade school that you enroll in not only provides a solid educational foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any certification and licensing exams that you may need to pass in the future.

Attending Electrician Schools Online in New Lenox IL

attending electrician school online in New Lenox IL A possibility that you may have looked at is choosing an electrician online school to earn a degree or a certificate. Even though online training programs are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this instance they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require partial attendance on campus to obtain hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be accessed online, distance learning might be a more practical choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as an added benefit numerous online training programs have a reduced tuition cost compared to their on campus alternatives. Travelling expenses from New Lenox IL are also lessened and a portion of the study materials can be accessed on line also. Each of these advantages can make online electrician vocational schools more affordable and accessible. And many are fully accredited, which we will address in our questions to ask checklist.

Topics to Ask Electrician Tech Schools

New Lenox IL electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to obtain a certificate, diploma or degree, you can start to refine your training options. Since there are numerous electrician trade and vocational schools in the New Lenox IL region, it’s essential 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 online degree, then that must be a feature that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that must be considered also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to research prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Verify that the New Lenox IL school 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 ensure that you receive an excellent education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states require that the electrician training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It might also signify that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which can mean 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 an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to help New Lenox IL grads acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many electrician trade programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with New Lenox IL area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain 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 already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local New Lenox IL electrical company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your New Lenox home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Talk to some of the students and get their comments 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. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near New Lenox IL, verify that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near New Lenox IL?

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

New Lenox, Illinois

New Lenox is located approximately 36 miles southwest of downtown Chicago at 41°30′30″N 87°58′14″W / 41.50833°N 87.97056°W / 41.50833; -87.97056 (41.508251, -87.970597).[3] According to the 2010 census, New Lenox has a total area of 15.683 square miles (40.62 km2), of which 15.66 square miles (40.56 km2) (or 99.85%) is land and 0.023 square miles (0.06 km2) (or 0.15%) is water.[4]

What is now the Village of New Lenox was first settled in the late 1820s, in the area of Gougar crossing (Route 30 and Gougar Road) and it was called VanHorne Point. New Lenox Township was established when Will County was created in 1852 with the building of the Rock Island Railroad between Chicago and Rock Island, Illinois. Originally named Tracey in honor of the general superintendent of the Rock Island Railroad. Mr. Tracy later requested that the community be renamed. The first supervisor of the Rock Island Railway for New Lenox Township, John Van Duser, named the Township New Lenox from the town Lenox, New York, which was Van Duser's hometown. In 1863, the name for the new settlement officially became New Lenox Township.

New Lenox was not officially created until October 4, 1946. In 1945, 46 community leaders, F. Carlton Cole, Walter Baers and others reasoned that the community should be incorporated. Recognizing the benefits and the potential growth of the area, a community vote in the spring of 1946 resulted in the authorization for the creation of the Village of New Lenox. On October 4, 1946, the State of Illinois officially certified that New Lenox was legally organized and incorporated as a Village in the State of Illinois.[5]

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Select the Right Electrical Trade School near New Lenox IL

Choosing the best electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are several factors that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are looking at. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are assessing includes a lot of hands-on instruction. Classes should be smaller in size and every student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom instruction needs to offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Courses differ in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to determine what length of program and credential will best fulfill your needs. Every training program offers different options for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and speak with the students and faculty. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the training program you select is the best one for you. With the right training, hard work and dedication, the end outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in New Lenox IL.