Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Ottawa IL 61350

How to Become an Electrician in Ottawa Illinois

Ottawa IL electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical tradesman or contractor is enrolling in an electrician trade school near Ottawa IL. But with so many technical schools to choose from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Especially since there are so many factors to consider. For instance, some potential students will start by looking for schools that are nearby their residence. Once they have located a few that are within driving range, they will decide on the one with the most affordable tuition. While location and cost are significant, they are not the sole factors that must be examined. Also critical are the accreditation and reputations of the schools, along with their job placement and graduation rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your final decision when picking an electrician school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this post. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are offered.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Ottawa IL

Ottawa IL electrician re-wiring power outlet There are three general ways to receive electrician training in a technical or vocational school near Ottawa IL. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at a few schools, but are not as prevalent as the other three options. Frequently these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most common programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are generally offered by Illinois technical and trade schools and take about a year to finish. They furnish a solid foundation and are geared towards individuals who would like to enter an apprenticeship more quickly as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degrees take 2 years to complete and are offered by Illinois community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to join their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are accessible at certain Illinois colleges, but are less preferred at four years than the other briefer programs. Many states require that an apprenticeship of at least 2 years and in most cases 4 years be carried out before licensing. Because of that, most students are eager to start their paid apprenticeship, particularly if it’s not part of their academic program.

Electrician Certification and Licensing Prerequisites

Ottawa IL electricians working on power lines Electricians in Ottawa IL can carry out a multitude of duties, including testing, installing and replacing 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 become licensed in most states or municipalities. The period of apprenticeship varies by state, but normally around 4 to 5 years of experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams commonly evaluate electrical theory and general knowledge, in addition to understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Obtaining certification is also an optional means for an electrician to differentiate her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications offered differ by state and can be acquired in many specializations, including cable splicing as an example. The certification process 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) and also the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s important that the electrician tech school that you pick not only provides a solid academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.

Attending Electrician Programs Online in Ottawa IL

attending electrician school online in Ottawa IL An alternative that you might have considered is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a degree or a certificate. While online schools are becoming more popular as a means of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not entirely internet based. Pretty much all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to get hands-on practical training. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, distance learning may be a more accommodating choice for students that have limited time for schooling. And as a bonus numerous online degree programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on-campus alternatives. Driving costs from Ottawa IL are also reduced and a portion of the study materials can be accessed online also. Each of these benefits can make online electrician tech schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

What to Ask Electrician Technical Schools

Ottawa IL electrician re-wiring circuit panel Now that you have made a decision to earn a certificate, diploma or degree, you can begin to focus your school options. Because there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Ottawa IL area, it’s imperative to have a checklist of qualifications that each school must meet. The initial two that we discussed were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an degree online, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your determination, there are other factors that must be taken into account also. Following is a checklist of those additional qualifications that you will need to assess before selecting an electrical technical school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational programs have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example electrical technology. Verify that the Ottawa IL program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require that the electrician training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion and Placement Rates. Ask the electrician schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not qualified 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 directory of alumni, which can produce 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 additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Ottawa IL students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most electrician vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of electrician businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with Ottawa IL area electricians or electrical contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local electrician professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the electrical tech you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Ottawa IL electrical company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Ottawa home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to some of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Ottawa IL, check that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Ottawa IL?

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

Ottawa, Illinois

Ottawa is a city located at the confluence of the navigable Illinois River and Fox River in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States. The Illinois River is a conduit for river barges and connects Lake Michigan at Chicago, to the Mississippi River, and North America's 25,000 mile river system. The population estimate was 18,562 as of 2013.[4] It is the county seat of LaSalle County and it is part of the Ottawa-Peru, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Ottawa was the site of the first of the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. During the Ottawa debate Stephen A. Douglas, leader of the Democratic Party, openly accused Abraham Lincoln of forming a secret bipartisan group of Congressmen to bring about the abolition of slavery.[5]

The John Hossack House was a "station" on the Underground Railroad, and Ottawa was a major stop because of its rail, road, and river transportation.[6] Citizens in the city were active within the abolitionist movement. Ottawa was the site of a famous 1859 extrication of a runaway slave named Jim Gray from a courthouse by prominent civic leaders of the time. Three of the civic leaders, John Hossack, Dr. Joseph Stout and James Stout, later stood trial in Chicago for violating the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.[7]

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Enroll in the Ideal Electrical Trade School near Ottawa IL

Choosing the best electrician training program will undoubtedly be the most critical decision you will make to begin your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are many things that you will need to examine and compare among the schools you are looking at. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician training that you are evaluating includes a good deal of hands-on instruction. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world frame of reference, and the training program should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Programs vary in duration and the kind of credential offered, so you will have to determine what length of program and credential will best satisfy your needs. Each training program provides unique possibilities for certification as well. Probably The ideal approach to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the teachers and students. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you decide on is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, the end result will be a new occupation as a professional electrician in Ottawa IL.