Heating and Air School Dunnville KY

How to Find the Right HVAC Certificate Program near Dunnville Kentucky

air conditioner condensers in Dunnville KY Once you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and cooling specialist, the next action is to choose an HVAC vocational school near Dunnville KY. But with so many to choose from, how do you select the ideal one to get the training that you require? A number of prospective students will make their decision based exclusively on the price of tuition or how close the school is to their home. Although these are significant concerns, they are not the only ones to take into account. Just 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 additional benchmarks will be covered in more detail later within this article. But before we tackle how to pick an HVAC trade 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 Specialist

Dunnville KY HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is frequently used in the trade that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC contractors provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are generally mandated to be licensed, however each state and local municipality has its own requirements. Acquiring professional certification is not mandatory, but an alternative means for Dunnville KY HVAC technicians to prove that they are highly proficient and experienced in their area of specialization. There are several respected certifications within the trade that are offered. Following 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 competency exam and may be received in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification makes available both a professional and a master specialist credential. Two years of field experience as well as passing a comprehensive exam are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have 3 years of experience in addition to a passing score on the professional level examination. Similar to NATE, certifications are made available in several specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is necessary for technicians that work with refrigerants. There are three forms of certification obtainable, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing might be required in your location, and you may also desire to acquire certification, it’s imperative that you enroll in an HVAC trade school that will train you for both. And since you will most likely be handling refrigerants, make certain that the program you decide on readies you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Training Programs

radiator heater in Dunnville KY home There are a variety of options offered for HVAC instruction in a vocational or trade school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Acquiring a certificate will take the least amount of time, typically accomplished in just six months, however some courses are longer. A certificate will qualify 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 furnish more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a brief description of each credential offered near Dunnville KY.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among entry level commercial or residential HVAC technicians. They furnish a solid foundation of skills for job opportunities within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program supplies a more comprehensive knowledge of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Usually taking two years to finish, some degrees incorporate an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is suited more towards 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 air conditioning systems, you will also study how to design them.

Choosing the ideal credential program will be based on what your future career goals are, as well as the time and financial resources that you have to commit. One possibility is to begin with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the trade in Dunnville KY, eventually going back to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your approach, make certain to ask the HVAC technician school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Classes Online

Dunnville KY student attending HVAC school online Choosing an HVAC school online is one possibility to attaining your education and receiving a certificate or degree. Almost all schools will call for some attendance on campus to take part in practical training. A number also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or in place of practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes may be attended via the internet, this approach may be a more accessible solution for some Dunnville KY students that are short on time. And some online degree programs are less costly than other on campus alternatives. Even travelling expenses from Dunnville and study supplies may be minimized, helping to make education more economical. And many online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family obligations have left you with limited time to attend classes, perhaps an HVAC online training program will make it easier to fit school into your hectic lifestyle.

Questions For HVAC Certification Courses

Questions to ask Dunnville KY HVAC training schools Once you have chosen the type of degree or certificate that you want to earn, either on campus or online, you can begin to narrow down your selection of schools. As you are probably aware, there are many HVAC technical schools in the Dunnville KY area and throughout the Country to select from. That’s why it is extremely important to have a checklist of key qualifiers when making school comparisons. As previously stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will undoubtedly be the initial 2 variables you will look at. Following are some additional ones that you will want to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Numerous HVAC trade schools in the Dunnville KY area have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as HVAC technology. Confirm that the program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you acquire a quality education, it may help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states require that the HVAC training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Air Conditioning schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate could suggest that students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. It might also signify that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher 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 utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of Dunnville KY HVAC employers to assist grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC trade 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 within their network of HVAC businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working relationships with local Dunnville KY HVAC companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the HVAC technician you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Dunnville KY HVAC company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Dunnville KY residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with several of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Dunnville KY, verify that the schools you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Dunnville KY?

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

Casey County, Kentucky

Casey County is a county located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 15,955.[1] Its county seat is Liberty.[2] The county was formed in 1806 from the western part of Lincoln County[3] and named for Colonel William Casey, a pioneer settler who moved his family to Kentucky in 1779.[4] It is the only Kentucky county entirely in the Knobs region. Casey County is home to annual Casey County Apple Festival, and is a prohibition or dry county. It is considered part of the Appalachian region of Kentucky.

In 2015, County Clerk Casey Davis received national press when he announced he would deny same-sex marriage licenses, as a show of solidarity with fellow county clerk Kim Davis, who was criticized and later jailed for doing the same thing in Rowan County, Kentucky.[6]

As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 15,447 people, 6,260 households, and 4,419 families residing in the county. The population density was 35 per square mile (14/km2). There were 7,242 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.30% White, 0.33% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Selecting the ideal HVAC school program is a crucial first step toward a fulfilling career in the heating & cooling field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Heating and Air School. However, as we have covered in this article, you should pick an HVAC trade school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC trade. Other factors to look for are lots of practical training and state-of-the-art facilities. You should check out each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and speak with both the faculty and current students. Try to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. Also, ask about scheduling choices and if night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And remember to inquire about financial aid and student loan options as well. 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 appropriate training, hard work and dedication, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC contractor in Dunnville KY.