How Long Does it Take to Become an HVAC Technician Westmoreland KS

How to Find the Right Heating and Cooling Degree Program near Westmoreland Kansas

air conditioner condensers in Westmoreland KS Once you have made a decision on a career as a heating and cooling professional, the next step is to locate an HVAC trade school near Westmoreland KS. But with so many to choose from, how do you pick the best one to receive the training that you need? Some future students will make their decision based entirely on the cost of tuition or how near the school is to their residence. Although these are necessary concerns, they are not the only ones to evaluate. A few of the other factors that you need to look into are the graduation completion rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. These and other benchmarks will be discussed in more detail later within this article. But before we tackle how to choose an HVAC trade school, let’s take a look at what a heating and cooling technician does to become a licensed skilled tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Contractor

Westmoreland KS HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is frequently used in the business that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC technicians provide services for the installation, repair and maintenance of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are typically required to be licensed, however every state and regional municipality has its own prerequisites. Attaining professional certification is not required, but an optional means for Westmoreland KS HVAC technicians to establish that they are highly qualified and accomplished in their area of expertise. There are a number of recognized certifications within the trade that are available. Here are a few of the significant ones.

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

Considering that licensing could be mandated in your area, and you may also intend to earn certification, it’s imperative that you pick an HVAC vocational school that will prepare you for both. And since you will most likely be dealing with refrigerants, make sure that the school you pick preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Training Programs

radiator heater in Westmoreland KS home There are a variety of choices available for HVAC training in a technical or vocational school. You can earn a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the least amount of time, usually accomplished in just six months, however some programs are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification related to the position. The degree training programs can provide a competitive advantage in the job market and will provide more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a brief explanation of each credential offered near Westmoreland KS.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among beginning commercial or residential HVAC specialists. They furnish a strong foundation of skills for employment within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more comprehensive understanding of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Generally taking 2 years to complete, many degrees include an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is tailored more towards a career in management as well as business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a standard 4 year program. In addition to mastering how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also study how to design them.

Selecting the appropriate credential program will be based on what your long term career objectives are, along with the time and financial resources that you have to commit. One option is to begin with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after acquiring some experience in the trade in Westmoreland KS, later returning to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your approach, make sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Classes

Westmoreland KS student attending HVAC school online Choosing an HVAC program online is one possibility to getting your education and earning a degree or certificate. Nearly all schools will call for some attendance on campus to take part in hands on training. Some also sponsor internship or work-study programs in addition to or as an alternative to practical lab work. But since the balance of the classes may be participated in online, this approach may be a more accessible solution for many Westmoreland KS students that are short on time. And some online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus alternatives. Even commuting expenses from Westmoreland and study supplies may be minimized, helping to make schooling more economical. And numerous online programs 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 online HVAC degree program will make it less complicated to fit school into your hectic lifestyle.

Questions to Ask HVAC Certification Classes

Questions to ask Westmoreland KS HVAC training schools Once you have chosen the type of certificate or degree that you desire to obtain, either online or on campus, you can start to limit your list of schools. As you are probably aware, there are a large number of HVAC vocational schools in the Westmoreland KS area and all over the USA to select from. That’s why it is extremely important to have a checklist of relevant qualifiers when making school evaluations. As earlier stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will undoubtedly be the first 2 variables you will take into consideration. Following are several additional ones that you should explore before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC vocational schools in the Westmoreland KS area have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance HVAC technology. Verify that the program 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 receive a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states mandate that the HVAC training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the HVAC schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It might also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Westmoreland KS HVAC employers to help graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of HVAC contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working relationships with local Westmoreland KS HVAC specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC technician you are working under regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Westmoreland KS HVAC contractor if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Westmoreland KS home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with a few of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Westmoreland KS, check that the programs you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Westmoreland KS?

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

Westmoreland, Kansas

Westmoreland is located at 39°23′41″N 96°24′51″W / 39.39472°N 96.41417°W / 39.39472; -96.41417 (39.394770, -96.414154).[10] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.52 square miles (1.35 km2), all of it land.[1]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 778 people, 301 households, and 192 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,496.2 inhabitants per square mile (577.7/km2). There were 337 housing units at an average density of 648.1 per square mile (250.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.5% White, 0.4% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

There were 301 households of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.2% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.97.

How Long Does it Take to Become an HVAC Technician Westmoreland KS

Finding the ideal HVAC school course is an important beginning toward a fulfilling career in the heating and air conditioning field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding How Long Does it Take to Become an HVAC Technician. However, as we have addressed in this article, you need to select an Heating and Cooling training program and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC community. Other features to search for are sufficient practical training and modern facilities. You need to go to each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and talk with both the current students and faculty. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the teaching and the interaction between them. Additionally, ask about scheduling options and whether evening or weekend classes are offered if needed. And don’t forget to ask about financial assistance and student loan options also. If you ask the right questions as we have detailed in our guidelines for evaluating schools, you’ll be able to filter your choices so that you can make an educated decision. With the appropriate training, hard work and commitment, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC contractor in Westmoreland KS.