Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Palatine IL 60038

How to Become an Electrician in Palatine Illinois

Palatine IL electrician inspecting circuit panel The initial step to becoming an electrical contractor or tradesman is locating an electrician trade school near Palatine IL. But with so many technical schools to select from, just how do you go about making sure that you enroll in the best one? Particularly because there are a number of factors to evaluate. For example, many students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. After they have located several that are within driving distance, they will select the one with the most affordable tuition. Although cost and location are important, they are not the only things that must be evaluated. Also important are the reputations of the schools, their accreditation, as well as their graduation and job placement rates. These and additional qualifiers should influence your final decision when picking an electrician school. We will address that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s review a little bit about becoming an electrician and the instructional choices that are available.

Electrician Degree, Diploma and Certificate Options near Palatine IL

Palatine IL electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple ways to obtain electrician training in a trade or technical school near Palatine IL. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or earn an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at certain schools, but are not as common as the first three options. In many cases these programs are made available combined with an apprenticeship, which are mandated by the majority of states to become licensed or if you wish to become certified. Following are short descriptions of the 3 most common programs available.

Diploma and Certificate Programs are typically offered by Illinois vocational and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a good foundation and are geared towards those who wish to join an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to finish and are provided by Illinois community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They offer a more well-rounded education while supplying the foundation that readies students to begin their apprenticeship program.

As previously stated, Bachelor’s Degree programs are offered at certain Illinois colleges, but are less favored 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. Because of that, most students are eager to begin their paid apprenticeship, especially if it’s not a component of their academic program.

Electrician Licensing and Certification Requirements

Palatine IL electricians working on power lines Electricians in Palatine IL can undertake a wide range of services, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and making sure that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After concluding an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are mandated to be licensed in most municipalities and states. The duration of apprenticeship differs by state, but usually about 4 to 5 years of prior experience is needed before taking the licensing exam. The exams typically assess electrical theory and general knowledge, along with understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also a voluntary means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available vary by state and can be obtained in many specializations, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure usually entails 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician tech school that you enroll in not only delivers a strong academic foundation, but also helps ready you for passing any licensing and certification exams that you might be required to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Online Schools in Palatine IL

attending electrician school online in Palatine IL An alternative that you may have contemplated is enrolling in an online electrician program to earn a certificate or degree. Although online training programs are becoming more prevalent as a way of attending class without the need for travel, in this case they are not completely internet based. Just about all electrician schools require some attendance on campus to receive practical hands-on training. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, internet learning may be a more practical choice for individuals that have minimal time for education. And as a bonus numerous online schools have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus counterparts. Commuting costs from Palatine IL are also lessened and some of the study materials can be accessed online also. All of these benefits can make online electrician trade schools more affordable and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our questions to ask checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Training Schools

Palatine IL electrician re-wiring circuit panel When you have decided to obtain a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to focus your training options. Since there are so many electrician trade and vocational schools in the Palatine IL area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must meet. The initial 2 that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you have an interest in earning an online degree, then that needs to be an option that your chosen school offers. And although all three qualifiers may be critical when making your decision, there are other factors that need to be taken into account also. Below is a checklist of those additional qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to enrolling in an electrical vocational school.

Accreditation. A large number of electrician vocational programs have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as electrical technology. Make certain that the Palatine IL school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you get an excellent education, it can help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states require that the electrician training program 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 percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It could also signify that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list 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 can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of contacts to assist Palatine IL graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of electrician trade programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with Palatine IL area electricians or electrical companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable 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 school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed 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, talk to the electrical technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Palatine IL electrical contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Palatine residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Palatine IL, verify that the programs you are comparing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Palatine IL?

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

Palatine, Illinois

Palatine (/ˈpælətaɪn/) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a northwestern residential suburb of Chicago. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 65,479. In the 2010 census its population had risen to 68,557,[5] making it the seventh-largest community in Cook County[6] and the 18th-largest in the state of Illinois.[7]

The first European-American to settle in Palatine is generally thought to be George Ela, who built a log cabin in the area now called Deer Grove. Ela was one of the first of a wave of pioneers to migrate to northern Illinois following the Black Hawk War. A road which passes through the western edge of Palatine is called Ela Road in his honor.

The Village of Palatine was founded in 1866. It was built around a station on the new Chicago and North Western Railway. Joel Wood surveyed and laid out the village, earning him the title of Palatine's founder. One of Palatine's original downtown streets is named after Wood.

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Find the Ideal Electrical Trade School near Palatine IL

Choosing the best electrician trade school will probably be the most critical decision you will make to start your new trade. As we have discussed in this article, there are several things that you will need to assess and compare among the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a must that any electrician training program that you are reviewing includes a lot of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student should have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom teaching needs to provide a real-world perspective, and the course of study should be up-to-date and conform with industry standards. Training programs differ in duration and the kind of credential provided, so you will need to decide what length of program and certificate or degree will best fulfill your needs. Each training program provides different options for certification also. Probably the best means to research your final list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the students and faculty. Invest some time to sit in on some classes. Tour the campus and facilities. Make certain that you are confident that the school you choose is the ideal one for you. With the proper training, effort and dedication, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Palatine IL.