Air Conditioner Technician School Palos Park IL

How to Find the Right Heating and Cooling Certificate Program near Palos Park Illinois

air conditioner condensers in Palos Park IL Once you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and cooling professional, the next step is to locate an HVAC vocational school near Palos Park IL. But with so many to select from, how do you decide on the best one to obtain the training that you need? A number of prospective students will make their decision based exclusively on the price of tuition or how near the school is to their residence. Even though these are important considerations, they are not the only ones to investigate. Some of the other factors that you need to research are the graduation rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. These and other criteria will be discussed in more detail later in this article. But before we explore how to choose an HVAC vocational school, let’s take a look at what a heating and air conditioning technician does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Pro

Palos Park IL HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is frequently used in the industry that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC technicians provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are commonly required to be licensed, however each state and local municipality has its own requirements. Obtaining professional certification is not mandatory, but a voluntary way for Palos Park IL HVAC techs to establish that they are highly skilled and accomplished in their area of specialization. There are several respected certifications within the field that are available. Below are some of the important ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally recognized certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is earned by passing a proficiency examination and may be received in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification makes available both a professional and a master specialist credential. 2 years of professional experience together with passing a comprehensive examination are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have 3 years of experience along with a passing score on the professional level exam. Similar to NATE, certifications are made available in several specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for techs that work with refrigerants. There are 3 forms of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Considering that licensing could be mandated in your location, and you may also desire to earn certification, it’s important that you pick an HVAC technical school that will prepare you for both. And since you will more than likely be handling refrigerants, make sure that the program you select prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Degree and Certificate Courses

radiator heater in Palos Park IL home There are several choices available for HVAC instruction in a trade or technical school. You can attain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Obtaining a certificate will take the least period of time, often completed in just six months, though some courses are longer. A certificate will qualify you for the majority of HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification relevant to the position. The degree training programs might provide a competitive advantage for securing employment and will furnish more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a short summary of each option offered near Palos Park IL.

Certificate. Normally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among entry level commercial or residential HVAC specialists. They furnish a strong foundation of skills for job opportunities within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more comprehensive background of heating and cooling systems than the certificate program. Usually requiring two years to finish, many degrees feature an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is suited more for a career in management as well as business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a conventional 4 year program. In addition to learning how to service and maintain heating and cooling systems, you will also study how to design them.

Picking the appropriate credential program will be dependent on what your long term career objectives are, along with the time and money that you have to commit. One possibility is to begin with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the field in Palos Park IL, later going back to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, be sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Schools

Palos Park IL student attending HVAC school online Attending an HVAC school online is one approach in obtaining your education and earning a certificate or degree. Almost all schools will call for some attendance on campus to participate in practical training. Many also offer internship or work-study programs in addition to or as an alternative to practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, this option may be a more convenient solution for some Palos Park IL students that are pressed for time. And a number of online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus options. Even driving expenses from Palos Park and study materials may be lessened, helping to make education more affordable. And a large number of online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your work or family obligations have left you with minimal time to attend classes, maybe an HVAC online training program will make it less complicated to accommodate school into your hectic lifestyle.

What to Ask HVAC Training Classes

Questions to ask Palos Park IL HVAC training schools Once you have chosen the type of certificate or degree that you want to acquire, either online or on campus, you can start to narrow down your list of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are numerous HVAC technical schools in the Palos Park IL area and across the USA to choose from. That’s why it is essential to have a list of relevant qualifications when making school evaluations. As earlier stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will undoubtedly be the first 2 aspects you will consider. Following are several additional ones that you will want to explore before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC trade programs in the Palos Park IL area have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance HVAC technology. Make sure that the school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Also, a number of states require that the HVAC training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Cooling schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also mean that the teachers were not qualified 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 more extensive directory of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Palos Park IL HVAC employers to assist grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many HVAC training programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of HVAC companies or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with local Palos Park IL HVAC companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC specialist you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Palos Park IL HVAC company if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Palos Park IL residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much one-on-one 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. Speak to a few of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors and learn 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 reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Palos Park IL, check that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family responsibilities.

Considering an HVAC School near Palos Park IL?

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

Palos Park, Illinois

According to the 2010 census, Palos Park has a total area of 3.973 square miles (10.29 km2), of which 3.93 square miles (10.18 km2) (or 98.92%) is land and 0.043 square miles (0.11 km2) (or 1.08%) is water.[6]

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 4,689 people, 1,802 households, and 1,389 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,241.8 people per square mile (479.0/km²). There were 1,852 housing units at an average density of 490.5 per square mile (189.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.16% White, 0.28% African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.11% of the population.

There were 1,802 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.9% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.01.

Air Conditioner Technician School Palos Park IL

Selecting the ideal HVAC training program is an important first step toward a fulfilling career in the heating and air conditioning industry. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Air Conditioner Technician School. However, as we have addressed in this post, you should select an Heating and Cooling trade school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC field. Other features to search for are sufficient practical training and state-of-the-art facilities. You need to check out each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and speak with both the current students and faculty. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the teaching and the interaction between them. In addition, ask about scheduling options and if night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And don’t forget to inquire about financial aid and student loan options too. If you ask the right questions as we have detailed in our checklist for assessing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your options so that you can make an educated decision. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC specialist in Palos Park IL.