HVAC Vocational Training Oberlin KS

How to Pick the Right Heating and Cooling Program near Oberlin Kansas

air conditioner condensers in Oberlin KS Now that you have decided on a career as a heating and cooling professional, the next step is to locate an HVAC trade school near Oberlin KS. But with so many to select from, how do you pick the ideal one to obtain the training that you require? Many potential students will make their decision based solely on the cost of tuition or how near the school is to their home. While these are important concerns, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Just some of the other things that you need to research are the graduation completion rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. Those and additional criteria will be addressed in more detail later in this article. But before we tackle how to select an HVAC technical school, let’s look at what a heating and cooling contractor does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Specialist

Oberlin KS HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is extensively used in the industry that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC professionals provide services for the installation, repair and maintenance of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are commonly mandated to be licensed, although every state and local municipality has its own requirements. Acquiring professional certification is not compulsory, but an optional way for Oberlin KS HVAC techs to establish that they are highly proficient and experienced in their area of expertise. There are multiple acknowledged certifications within the field that are available. Here are a few of the important ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC techs. The certification is earned by passing a proficiency exam and can be acquired in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification makes available both a professional and a master specialist credential. Two years of field experience in addition to passing a comprehensive exam are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have three years of experience as well as a passing score on the professional level examination. As with NATE, certifications are offered in multiple specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for specialists that work with refrigerants. There are 3 forms of certification obtainable, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing might be mandated in your location, and you may also wish to acquire certification, it’s essential that you choose an HVAC technical school that will prepare you for both. And since you will more than likely be working with refrigerants, make sure that the school you pick preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Degree Courses

radiator heater in Oberlin KS home There are a number of options available for HVAC instruction in a trade or technical school. You can earn a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the lesser amount of time, often accomplished in just six months, though some courses are longer. A certificate will train you for the majority of HVAC positions, especially 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 provide more extensive training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief description of each option offered near Oberlin KS.

Certificate. Normally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among beginning commercial or residential HVAC technicians. They provide a strong foundation of skills for employment within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more detailed understanding of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Typically taking 2 years to finish, some degrees feature 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 traditional four year program. In addition to being taught how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also learn how to design them.

Picking the appropriate credential program will be based on what your future career aspirations are, along with the time and financial resources that you have to commit. One approach is to begin with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after acquiring some experience in the trade in Oberlin KS, later returning to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, make sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Classes

Oberlin KS student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC program online is one alternative in attaining your training and earning a degree or certificate. Almost all schools will call for some attendance on campus to take part in hands on training. Some also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, this approach may be a more accessible solution for many Oberlin KS students that are short on time. And many online degree programs are more economical than other on campus choices. Even travelling expenses from Oberlin and study materials can be minimized, helping to make schooling more budget-friendly. And numerous online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your work or family responsibilities have left you with minimal time to attend classes, perhaps an HVAC online training program will make it more convenient to accommodate school into your active lifestyle.

What to Ask HVAC Certification Classes

Questions to ask Oberlin KS HVAC training schools When you have selected the type of degree or certificate that you desire to acquire, either online or on campus, you can start to decrease your selection of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of HVAC technical schools in the Oberlin KS area and all over the USA to pick from. That’s why it is very important to have a checklist of relevant qualifications when making school evaluations. As formerly mentioned in our opening paragraph, location and tuition will undoubtedly be the initial 2 factors you will take into consideration. Following are some additional ones that you need to investigate before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Numerous HVAC technical programs in the Oberlin KS area have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, 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 agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive an excellent education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states require that the HVAC training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the HVAC schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate may signify that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It may also signify that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of Oberlin KS HVAC employers to assist grads acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous HVAC technical programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools 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 relationships with local Oberlin KS HVAC specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the HVAC specialist you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Oberlin KS HVAC company if they can give you some tips. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Oberlin KS home. Take note that if you decide to attend 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 individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult 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 feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Oberlin KS, confirm that the programs 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, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Oberlin KS?

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

Oberlin, Kansas

On September 30, 1878, Northern Cheyenne fleeing from Indian Territory to their homes in the north, the Northern Cheyenne Exodus, attacked homesteaders near Oberlin, then a tiny hamlet. The Last Indian Raid in Kansas room in the Decatur County Museum and a monument in the town cemetery near the graves of the victims commemorate those depredations.[12][13]

Oberlin is located at 39°49′16″N 100°31′42″W / 39.82111°N 100.52833°W / 39.82111; -100.52833Coordinates: 39°49′16″N 100°31′42″W / 39.82111°N 100.52833°W / 39.82111; -100.52833 (39.821235, -100.528369) at an elevation of 2,562 feet (781 m).[6][15] It lies on the northwest side of Sappa Creek, a tributary of the Republican River, in the High Plains region of the Great Plains.[16] Located at the intersection of U.S. Route 36 and U.S. Route 83 in northwest Kansas, Oberlin is 228 miles (367 km) northwest of Wichita, 238 miles (383 km) east of Denver, and 320 miles (510 km) west-northwest of Kansas City.[16][17]

Oberlin has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with hot, dry summers and cold, dry winters. The average temperature in Oberlin is 52 °F (11 °C) with temperatures exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 62 days a year and dropping below 32 °F (0 °C) an average of 158 days a year. Oberlin typically experiences precipitation 66 days a year and snowfall 11 days a year. Precipitation averages 23 inches (574 mm) per year, and snowfall averages 32 inches (80 cm) per year.[18] On average, January is the coldest month, and July is both the hottest month and the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Oberlin was 111 °F (44 °C) in 1954; the coldest temperature recorded was -31 °F (-35 °C) in 1989.[19]

Finding the right HVAC school program is a critical first step toward a fulfilling career in the heating and cooling industry. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Vocational Training. However, as we have discussed in this post, you need to select an Heating and Cooling school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC community. Other things to search for are lots of practical training and modern facilities. You need to go to each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to tour the campus and speak with both the faculty and current students. Try to get a feel for the quality of the instruction and the interaction between them. Also, ask about scheduling choices and if evening or weekend classes are available if needed. And remember to ask about financial aid and student loan options as well. If you ask the proper questions as we have outlined in our guidelines for assessing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make an informed decision. With the appropriate training, hard work and dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC professional in Oberlin KS.