Find Electrician Schools Near Me in Riverdale IL 60827

How to Become an Electrician in Riverdale Illinois

Riverdale IL electrician inspecting circuit panel The first step to learning to be an electrical contractor or tradesman is finding an electrician trade school near Riverdale IL. But with so many technical schools to pick from, just how do you approach making sure that you enroll in the right one? Particularly since there are a number of variables to evaluate. For instance, many potential students will begin by looking for schools that are close to their residence. Once they have identified several that are within commuting range, they will choose the one with the most affordable tuition. While cost and location are important, they are not the sole qualifications 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 ultimate judgment when selecting an electrician school. We will discuss that checklist in greater detail later in this article. But to begin with, let’s talk a little bit about becoming an electrician and the educational options that are accessible.

Electrician Certificate, Diploma and Degree Options near Riverdale IL

Riverdale IL electrician re-wiring power outlet There are multiple approaches to receive electrician training in a trade or technical school near Riverdale IL. You may enroll in a diploma or certificate program, or receive an Associate Degree. Bachelor’s Degrees are obtainable at some schools, but are not as common as the other three options. In many cases these programs are offered together with an apprenticeship program, which are required by most states in order to become licensed or if you intend to become certified. Bellow are short descriptions of the three most common programs available.

Certificate and Diploma Programs are generally offered by Illinois technical and trade schools and take approximately a year to finish. They provide a solid foundation and are geared towards students who wish to enter an apprenticeship faster as a journeyman electrician.
Associate Degree Programs require 2 years to complete and are provided by Illinois community colleges, usually as an Associate Degree in Electrical Technology. They furnish a more well-rounded education while providing the foundation that prepares students to begin their apprenticeship program.

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

Electrician License and Certification Requirements

Riverdale IL electricians working on power lines Electricians in Riverdale IL can undertake a vast array of tasks, including installing, replacing and testing electrical systems, and ensuring that the wiring in houses and buildings comply with code standards. After completing an apprenticeship, journeyman electricians are required to be licensed in the majority of municipalities and states. The length of apprenticeship varies by state, but usually about four to five years of prior experience is needed in order to take the licensing exam. The exams usually test general knowledge and electrical theory, as well as knowledge of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Receiving certification is also an optional means for an electrician to identify her or himself as a skilled and experienced professional. The certifications available differ by state and can be earned in many specialties, such as cable splicing as an example. The certification procedure in most cases entails 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) as well as the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET). It’s crucial that the electrician trade school that you pick not only furnishes a strong educational foundation, but also helps prep you for passing any certification and licensing examinations that you may need to take in the future.

Enrolling in Electrician Training Classes Online in Riverdale IL

attending electrician school online in Riverdale IL An option that you may have looked at is enrolling in an online electrician school to earn a certificate or degree. Even though online training programs are becoming more accepted as a means of attending class without needing to travel, in this situation they are not completely internet based. Pretty much all electrician training programs require some attendance on campus to obtain practical hands-on training. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended online, internet learning may be a more practical option for students that have limited time for education. And as a bonus many online training programs have a lower tuition cost compared to their on campus competitors. Travelling expenses from Riverdale IL are also lessened and a portion of the study materials may be available online also. Each of these advantages can make electrician online tech schools more economical and convenient. And many are fully accredited, which we will discuss in our due diligence checklist.

Things to Ask Electrician Vocational Schools

Riverdale IL electrician re-wiring circuit panel Once you have made a decision to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, you can begin to narrow down your training options. Considering that there are numerous electrician vocational and trade schools in the Riverdale IL area, it’s essential to have a checklist of criteria that each school must satisfy. The initial two that we talked about were location and tuition expense. If you are interested in earning an online degree, then that must be an option that your final school offers. And while all three qualifiers may be crucial when making your decision, there are additional variables that need to be considered as well. Below is a checklist of those added qualifiers that you will need to analyze prior to choosing an electrical trade school.

Accreditation. Numerous electrician vocational schools have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance electrical technology. Verify that the Riverdale IL school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you get an excellent education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It might also indicate that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may mean 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 a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of contacts to assist Riverdale IL grads secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous electrician trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of electrical companies or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with Riverdale IL area electricians or electrical specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local 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 working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the electrical specialist you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Riverdale IL electrical contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Riverdale residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak with a few of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the instructors 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 evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Riverdale IL, check that the schools you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering Attending an Electrician School near Riverdale IL?

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

Riverdale, Illinois

According to the 2010 census, Riverdale has a total area of 3.745 square miles (9.70 km2), of which 3.57 square miles (9.25 km2) (or 95.33%) is land and 0.175 square miles (0.45 km2) (or 4.67%) is water.[11]

As of the 2010 census, there were 13,549 people, 4,595 households, and 3,204 families residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 4.9% White, 94.9% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 0.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population.

There were 4,595 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 24.8% were married couples living together, 37.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.3% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.50.

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Choose the Ideal Electrical Tech School near Riverdale IL

Selecting the best electrical trade school will undoubtedly be the most important decision you will make to launch your new career. As we have addressed in this article, there are a number of things that you will need to assess and compare between the training programs you are reviewing. It’s a prerequisite that any electrician tech school that you are examining includes a good deal of hands-on training. Classes should be small in size and each student must have their personal equipment to train with. Classroom education needs to offer a real-world context, and the course of study should be up-to-date and in-line with industry standards. Training programs differ in length and the type of credential provided, so you will have to determine what length of program and certificate or degree will best satisfy your needs. Every training program offers unique options for certification as well. Perhaps the best means to research your short list of schools is to visit each campus and talk with the faculty and students. Invest some time to sit in on a few classes. Inspect the campus and facilities. Make sure that you are confident that the program you pick is the right one for you. With the right training, hard work and commitment, the final result will be a new trade as a professional electrician in Riverdale IL.