School for HVAC Technician Napoleonville LA

How to Enroll In the Right HVAC Training Class near Napoleonville Louisiana

air conditioner condensers in Napoleonville LA Once you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and cooling professional, the next step is to find an HVAC trade school near Napoleonville LA. But with so many to pick from, how do you select the best one to get the training that you need? Many prospective students will make their selection based solely on the price of tuition or how near the school is to their home. Although these are important factors to consider, they are not the only ones to take into account. Some of the other factors 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 benchmarks will be covered in more detail later in this article. But before we tackle how to select an HVAC vocational school, let’s look at what a heating and a/c technician does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Professional

Napoleonville LA HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is widely used in the industry that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC contractors specialize in the installation, repair and maintenance of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are generally mandated to be licensed, though each state and regional municipality has its own prerequisites. Earning professional certification is not required, but an optional means for Napoleonville LA HVAC techs to prove that they are exceptionally qualified and knowledgeable in their area of expertise. There are multiple respected certifications within the trade that are offered. Here are a few of the significant ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is attained by passing a competency examination and can be acquired in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification offers both a professional and a master specialist credential. Two years of professional experience in addition to passing a comprehensive examination are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have 3 years of experience together with a passing score on the professional level examination. As with NATE, certifications are offered in various specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is mandatory for techs that work with refrigerants. There are 3 types of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Considering that licensing may be required in your area, and you may also wish to earn certification, it’s imperative that you select an HVAC technical school that will prepare you for both. And since you will most likely be handling refrigerants, make sure that the program you pick preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Degree and Certificate Classes

radiator heater in Napoleonville LA home There are several options offered 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 lesser period of time, typically completed in just 6 months, although some programs are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree training programs can provide a competitive edge for securing employment and will furnish more comprehensive training than the certificate programs. Below is a short explanation of each option offered near Napoleonville LA.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among beginning commercial or residential HVAC professionals. They provide a solid foundation of skills for employment within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more detailed knowledge of heating and cooling systems than the certificate program. Normally taking two years to finish, a number of degrees include an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is suited more for a career in management or even business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a traditional 4 year program. In addition to being taught how to service and maintain heating and cooling systems, you will also study how to design them.

Choosing the appropriate credential program will be based on what your long term career goals are, in addition to the time and financial resources that you have to invest. One option is to start with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after gaining some experience in the trade in Napoleonville LA, subsequently returning to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, be sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Schools

Napoleonville LA student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC program online is one possibility to getting your education and receiving a certificate or degree. Most schools will require some attendance on campus to complete hands on training. Some also offer internship or work-study programs in addition to or in place of practical lab work. But since the remainder of the classes may be attended on the web, this option may be a more practical solution for many Napoleonville LA students that are pressed for time. And some online degree programs are less costly than other on campus options. Even travelling expenses from Napoleonville and study materials can be minimized, helping to make education more affordable. And numerous online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family responsibilities have left you with limited time to attend classes, maybe an HVAC online training program will make it more convenient to fit school into your active lifestyle.

Questions to Ask HVAC Certification Courses

Questions to ask Napoleonville LA HVAC training schools Once you have selected the type of certificate or degree that you want to attain, either on campus or online, you can begin to decrease your selection of schools. As you are probably aware, there are a large number of HVAC trade schools in the Napoleonville LA area and throughout the United States to choose from. That’s why it is essential to have a list of relevant qualifications when making school assessments. As formerly mentioned 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 schools in the Napoleonville LA area have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for example HVAC technology. Verify that the school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get a quality education, it may assist in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, a number of states require that the HVAC training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Cooling schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It could also mean that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ 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 field, but additionally that it has the network of Napoleonville LA HVAC employers to help grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous HVAC trade programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of Heating and Cooling contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with local Napoleonville LA HVAC companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides employment 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 up-to-date and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Napoleonville LA HVAC company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Napoleonville LA home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to several of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Napoleonville LA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers 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 Napoleonville LA?

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

Napoleonville, Louisiana

Napoleonville is a village and the parish seat of Assumption Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana.[3] The population was 660 at the 2010 census.[4] It is part of the Pierre Part Micropolitan Statistical Area. The village is best known as the location where the film Because of Winn-Dixie, based on Kate DiCamillo's Newbery Prize-winning novel, was shot. The book was set in (fictional) Naomi, Florida.

As early as 1807 the community that later became Napoleonville was known as "Canal". This canal extended west from Napoleonville to Lake Verret.[5] The town was named by a soldier who served under Napoleon Bonaparte. The soldier is buried in the nearby town of Plattenville in the Cemetery of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church located on Hwy 308 south.

The first permanent settlements in this region were made by the French and Spanish (including Isleños) about the middle of the 18th century along Bayou Lafourche, between the present towns of Donaldsonville and Napoleonville. From 1755 to 1764, the population was increased by the immigration of the exiled Acadians who entered the area clearing the land and building comfortable homes. The town was officially incorporated on March 11, 1878.[6]

Choosing the ideal HVAC training course is a crucial first step toward a gratifying career in the heating and air conditioning field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding School for HVAC Technician. However, as we have covered in this article, you should pick an Heating and Cooling technical school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC community. Other things to look for are lots of practical training and state-of-the-art facilities. You need to visit each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to explore the campus and talk with both the current students and faculty. Try to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. In addition, inquire about scheduling options and whether or not evening or weekend classes are available if needed. And don’t forget to inquire about financial aid and student loan options too. If you ask the appropriate questions as we have laid out in our guidelines for comparing schools, you’ll be able to filter your options so that you can make an educated decision. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC specialist in Napoleonville LA.