How to Choose HVAC Certification Courses Bridgeport IL

How to Enroll In the Right Heating and Cooling School near Bridgeport Illinois

air conditioner condensers in Bridgeport ILNow that you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and cooling specialist, the next action is to choose an HVAC trade school near Bridgeport IL. But with so many to pick from, how do you pick the best one to receive the training that you require? A number of potential students will make their choice based solely on the price of tuition or how near the school is to their home. Although these are important concerns, they are not the only ones to investigate. Some of the other details that you need to investigate are the graduation completion rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. Those and other criteria will be discussed in more detail later within this article. But before we tackle how to select an HVAC trade school, let’s look at what a heating and cooling contractor does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Contractor

Bridgeport IL HVAC Tech installing water heaterHVAC is an acronym that is commonly used in the business that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC professionals provide services for the installation, repair and maintenance of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are generally mandated to be licensed, although every state and local municipality has its own requirements. Obtaining professional certification is not mandatory, but an alternative way for Bridgeport IL HVAC technicians to demonstrate that they are exceptionally qualified and knowledgeable in their area of specialization. There are several acknowledged certifications within the industry that are available. Here are a few of the significant ones.

  • North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally recognized certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is attained by passing a proficiency examination and may be earned in one or more specialties.
  • HVAC Excellence. This certification offers both a professional and a master specialist credential. 2 years of professional experience in addition to passing a comprehensive examination are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have three years of experience together with a passing score on the professional level exam. Similar to NATE, certifications are provided in multiple specialties.
  • EPA Section 608. This certification is mandatory for specialists that handle refrigerants. There are three forms of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing could be required in your location, and you may also intend to acquire certification, it’s important that you select an HVAC vocational school that will prepare you for both. And since you will most likely be working with refrigerants, make sure that the school you choose preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Schools

radiator heater in Bridgeport IL homeThere are several choices available for HVAC instruction in a vocational or trade school. You can earn a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the lesser amount of time, typically completed in just 6 months, although some courses are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree programs may provide a competitive edge for securing employment and will provide more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Below is a short summary of each option offered near Bridgeport IL.

  • Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among beginning residential or commercial HVAC technicians. They provide a solid foundation of skills for employment within the trade.
  • Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more extensive understanding of heating and cooling systems than the certificate program. Generally taking two years to finish, many degrees include an internship or work-study program.
  • Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is geared more towards a career in management as well as business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a conventional four year program. In addition to learning how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also study how to design them.

Selecting the ideal credential program will be dependent on what your future career goals are, together with the time and financial resources that you have to invest. One option is to begin with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the field in Bridgeport IL, eventually returning to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, be sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Schools

Bridgeport IL student attending HVAC school onlineEnrolling in an HVAC program online is one approach to attaining your education and earning a certificate or degree. Nearly all schools will require some attendance on campus to take part in hands on training. Many also offer internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the remainder of the classes may be participated in on the web, this approach may be a more accessible solution for some Bridgeport IL students that are short on time. And some online degree programs are cheaper than other traditional options. Even commuting expenses from Bridgeport and study materials can be minimized, helping to make schooling more economical. And many online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your career or family obligations have left you with minimal time to attend classes, perhaps an online HVAC degree program will make it more convenient to accommodate school into your busy schedule.

Questions to Ask HVAC Training Programs

Questions to ask Bridgeport IL HVAC training schoolsAfter you have decided on the type of certificate or degree that you would like to earn, either online or on campus, you can start to decrease your selection of schools. As you are probably aware, there are a large number of HVAC vocational schools in the Bridgeport IL area and across the Country to select from. That’s why it is very important to have a checklist of relevant qualifiers when making school assessments. As formerly stated in our opening paragraph, location and tuition will probably be the initial 2 factors you will look at. Following are some additional ones that you should investigate before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation.  Numerous HVAC technical programs in the Bridgeport IL area have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Make certain that the program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you acquire a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states require that the HVAC training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates.  Ask the Heating and Cooling schools you are looking at 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 might suggest that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It may also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly important 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 use 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 field, but additionally that it has the network of Bridgeport IL HVAC employers to help grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs.  Numerous HVAC vocational programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of Heating and Cooling businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with local Bridgeport IL HVAC professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the HVAC technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Bridgeport IL HVAC contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Bridgeport IL residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes.   It’s important that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with several 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 experience 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 fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Bridgeport IL, check that the schools you are considering offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.

Considering an HVAC School near Bridgeport IL?

Perhaps you are considering enrolling in an HVAC training program in the Bridgeport Illinois area.  If so, you may find the following background information about the location of your new school campus both interesting and informative.

Bridgeport, Illinois

According to the 2010 census, Bridgeport has a total area of 1.075 square miles (2.78 km2), of which 1.05 square miles (2.72 km2) (or 97.67%) is land and 0.025 square miles (0.06 km2) (or 2.33%) is water.[4]

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 2,168 people, 871 households, and 585 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,024.0 people per square mile (782.3/km²). There were 964 housing units at an average density of 900.0 per square mile (347.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.52% White, 0.46% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.05% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.37% of the population.

There were 871 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99.

How to Choose HVAC Certification Courses Bridgeport IL

Selecting the right HVAC school course is an important first step toward a rewarding career in the heating and air conditioning trade. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding How to Choose HVAC Certification Courses. However, as we have discussed in this article, you need to choose an HVAC training program and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have exceptional reputations within the HVAC trade. Other things to look for are ample practical training and state-of-the-art facilities. You need to go to each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to tour the campus and talk with both the faculty and current students. Try to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. In addition, inquire about scheduling choices and if evening or weekend classes are available if needed. And remember to inquire about financial assistance and student loan options too. If you ask the proper questions as we have detailed in our checklist for comparing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your options so that you can make an educated decision. With the right training, hard work and commitment, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC specialist in Bridgeport IL.

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