Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Palos Park IL 60464

How to Become an Electrician in Palos Park Illinois

Palos Park IL electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Palos Park IL. But with numerous vocational schools to choose from, just how do you go about making certain that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are so many factors to evaluate. For example, some students will commence by looking for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have found a few that are within driving distance, they will pick the one with the least expensive tuition. While cost and location are of importance, they are not the only things that should be considered. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their job placement and graduation rates. These and other qualifications should influence your final decision when choosing an electrician trade school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the training options that are offered.

Electrician Degree, Certificate and Diploma Programs near Palos Park IL

Palos Park IL electrician re-wiring power outlet There are several approaches to obtain electrician instruction in a vocational or trade school near Palos Park IL. You may choose a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are offered at a few schools, but are not as common as the other three options. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states in order to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are brief explanations of the 3 most common programs offered.

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

As earlier mentioned, Bachelor’s Degrees are available at some Illinois institutions, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be completed before licensing. For that reason, most students are anxious to commence their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Prerequisites

Palos Park IL electricians working on power lines Electricians in Palos Park IL can carry out a wide range of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in buildings and homes comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to become licensed in the majority of states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is called for before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically evaluate general knowledge and electrical theory, in addition to knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify him or herself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered vary by state and can be acquired in numerous specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process usually involves 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) along with the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician vocational school that you select not only furnishes a solid academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Online Programs in Palos Park IL

attending electrician school online in Palos Park IL A possibility that you might have contemplated is selecting an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs are becoming more popular as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this situation they are not entirely internet based. Just about all electrician training programs require some attendance on-campus to receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, internet learning can be a more accommodating alternative for students that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional counterparts. Travelling costs from Palos Park IL are also minimized and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online as well. All of these benefits can make electrician online trade schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our due diligence checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Palos Park IL electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your school options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Palos Park IL area, it’s important to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we mentioned 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 even though all three qualifiers may be critical when making your determination, there are other variables that need to be considered also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to research prior to selecting an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Many electrician technical schools have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Palos Park IL school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you obtain an excellent education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. 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 training programs you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A low completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher 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 utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Palos Park IL grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician technical programs are taught along 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 electrician contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with Palos Park IL area electricians or electrical professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the electrical specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Palos Park IL electrical company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Palos Park home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher 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 a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Palos Park IL, verify that the programs you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be 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, illness or family issues.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Palos Park IL?

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

Palos Park, Illinois

According to the 2010 census, Palos Park has a total area of 3.973 square miles (10.29 km2), of which 3.93 square miles (10.18 km2) (or 98.92%) is land and 0.043 square miles (0.11 km2) (or 1.08%) is water.[6]

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 4,689 people, 1,802 households, and 1,389 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,241.8 people per square mile (479.0/km²). There were 1,852 housing units at an average density of 490.5 per square mile (189.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.16% White, 0.28% African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.11% of the population.

There were 1,802 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.9% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.01.

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Select the Ideal Electrical Tech School near Palos Park IL

Choosing the right electrician training program will probably be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have covered in this article, there are several factors that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are considering. It’s a must that any electrical tech school that you are assessing includes a considerable amount of hands-on training. Classes need to be smaller in size and each student should have their own equipment to train with. Classroom instruction should offer a real-world context, and the training program should be current and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in length and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Each training program offers unique possibilities for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to check out each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the school you decide on is the right one for you. With the right training, effort and dedication, the final outcome will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Palos Park IL.