Find Electrician Schools Near Me in New Salem IL 62357

How to Become an Electrician in New Salem Illinois

New Salem IL electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near New Salem IL. But with numerous technical schools to select from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly since there are so many points to examine. For instance, some students will start by searching for schools that are nearby their home. Once they have located a few that are within driving range, they will select the one with the lowest tuition. While cost and location are significant, they are not the only factors that need to be evaluated. Also important are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifications should influence your ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician training school. We will talk about that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But first, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are accessible.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Programs near New Salem IL

New Salem IL electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general approaches to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near New Salem IL. You may 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 first three alternatives. Frequently these programs are offered in conjunction with an apprenticeship, which are required by most states to be licensed or if you want to earn certification. Bellow are short descriptions of the 3 most common programs offered.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are usually offered by Illinois trade and technical schools and require approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards individuals who want to get into an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees require two years to finish and are offered by Illinois junior or community colleges, typically as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They provide a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As earlier stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are available at some Illinois colleges, but are less favored at four years than the other shorter programs. The majority of states mandate that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out before licensing. Therefore, the majority of students are anxious to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician License and Certification Criteria

New Salem IL electricians working on power lines Electricians in New Salem IL can perform a multitude of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in buildings and homes are up to code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about four to five years of practical experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams usually test electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also a voluntary method for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and may be acquired in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually includes three levels of competency:

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 imperative that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only provides a strong academic foundation, but also helps prepare you for passing any licensing and certification examinations that you might need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Training Classes in New Salem IL

attending electrician school online in New Salem IL A possibility that you might have contemplated is enrolling in an electrician online program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs have become more accepted 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 receive hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes may be accessed online, distance learning may be a more accommodating choice for individuals that have limited time for schooling. And as an added benefit many online schools have a cheaper tuition cost compared to their traditional alternatives. Commuting expenses from New Salem IL are also lessened and some of the study materials may be accessed online as well. Each of these advantages can make electrician online vocational schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will cover in our questions to ask checklist.

Questions to Ask Electrician Trade Schools

New Salem IL electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have decided to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can start to narrow down your training options. Because there are numerous electrician tech and trade schools in the New Salem IL area, it’s essential to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must satisfy. The first two that we talked about were location and the cost of tuition. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And even though all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are additional variables that need to be considered also. Below is a checklist of those added qualifications that you will need to analyze before selecting an electrical tech school.

Accreditation. Many electrician vocational schools have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as electrical technology. Confirm that the New Salem IL school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain a superior education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states mandate 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 looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate could signify that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It could also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high 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 employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist New Salem IL grads secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician contractors or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with New Salem IL area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical tech you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local New Salem 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 New Salem home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to several of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near New Salem IL, check that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near New Salem IL?

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

Lincoln's New Salem

Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site is a reconstruction of the former village of New Salem in Menard County, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1831 to 1837.[1] While in his twenties, the future U.S. President made his living in this frontier village as a boatman, soldier in the Black Hawk War, general store owner, postmaster, surveyor, and rail splitter, and was first elected to the Illinois General Assembly.

Lincoln left New Salem for Springfield in 1837, and the village was generally abandoned by about 1840, as other towns developed. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built a historic recreation of New Salem based on its original foundations, establishing a state park commemorating Lincoln and Illinois' frontier history.[2] The village is located 15 mi (24 km) northwest of Springfield, and approximately 3 mi (4.8 km) south of Petersburg.

New Salem was founded in 1828, when James Rutledge and John Camron built a gristmill on the Sangamon River. They surveyed and sold village lots for commercial business and homes on the ridge stretching to the west above the mill. Over the first few years of its existence, the town grew rapidly, but after the county seat was located in nearby Petersburg, the village began to shrink and by 1840, it was abandoned. The fact that the Sangamon River was not well-suited for steamboat travel was also a reason for the town's decline.

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Choose the Ideal Electrical Trade School near New Salem IL

Picking the best electrician training program will probably be the most important decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have addressed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare between the schools you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training program 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 instruction needs to offer a real-world perspective, and the curriculum should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will need to decide what length of program and credential will best serve your needs. Each program provides unique possibilities for certification also. Perhaps the best way to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and speak with the students and instructors. Take the time to monitor a few classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and commitment, the end outcome will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in New Salem IL.