HVAC Certification Course Durant MS

How to Choose the Right Heating and Cooling Training Program near Durant Mississippi

air conditioner condensers in Durant MSOnce you have made a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioner technician, the next action is to find an HVAC vocational school near Durant MS. But with so many to pick from, how do you select the best one to receive the training that you require? A number of potential students will make their selection based exclusively on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their residence. While these are significant considerations, they are not the only ones to investigate. Some of the other details that you need to investigate are the graduation rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. Those and other benchmarks will be discussed in more detail later in this article. But before we explore how to pick an HVAC vocational school, let’s take a look at what a heating and a/c specialist does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Technician

Durant MS HVAC Tech installing water heaterHVAC is an acronym that is widely used in the business that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC professionals provide services for the installation, repair and maintenance of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are typically mandated to be licensed, although every state and regional municipality has its own prerequisites. Earning professional certification is not compulsory, but an alternative means for Durant MS HVAC techs to demonstrate that they are exceptionally proficient and accomplished in their area of expertise. There are many respected certifications within the industry that are offered. Below are some of the significant ones.

  • North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC techs. The certification is attained by passing a competency exam and can be earned in one or more specialties.
  • HVAC Excellence. This certification makes available both a professional and a master specialist credential. Two years of professional experience as well as passing a comprehensive exam are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have three years of experience along with a passing score on the professional level exam. Similar to NATE, certifications are provided in various specialties.
  • EPA Section 608. This certification is required for technicians 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.

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

HVAC Degree and Certificate Classes

radiator heater in Durant MS homeThere are a number of alternatives offered for HVAC instruction in a technical or vocational school. You can attain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Acquiring a certificate will take the least amount of time, often accomplished in just six months, although some courses are longer. A certificate will qualify you for the majority of HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification related to the position. The degree training programs might provide a competitive advantage for securing employment and will provide more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief summary of each credential offered near Durant MS.

  • Certificate. Normally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level residential or commercial HVAC technicians. They provide a strong foundation of skills for job opportunities within the trade.
  • Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more comprehensive knowledge of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Generally requiring two years to finish, a number of degrees incorporate 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 call for an Associate Degree, while others are a traditional 4 year program. In addition to being taught how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also study how to design them.

Choosing the right credential program will be dependent on what your long term career objectives are, along with the time and financial resources that you have to invest. One approach is to start with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after gaining some experience in the trade in Durant MS, subsequently returning to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, make sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Training

Durant MS student attending HVAC school onlineChoosing an HVAC school online is one alternative in attaining your training and receiving a degree or certificate. Almost all schools will call for some attendance on campus to complete practical training. Many also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or as an alternative to practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes may be participated in online, this alternative may be a more practical solution for many Durant MS students that are short on time. And many online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus options. Even travelling expenses from Durant and study supplies can be lessened, helping to make schooling more affordable. And numerous online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family commitments have left you with limited time to attend classes, maybe an online HVAC degree program will make it easier to fit school into your active schedule.

What to Ask HVAC Training Classes

Questions to ask Durant MS HVAC training schoolsAs soon as you have chosen the type of certificate or degree that you wish to acquire, either on campus or online, you can begin to decrease your selection of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are many HVAC vocational schools in the Durant MS area and across the Country to pick from. That’s why it is very important to have a list of key qualifiers when making school assessments. As formerly stated in our opening paragraph, location and tuition will most likely be the initial 2 factors you will look at. Following are several additional ones that you should research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation.  Many HVAC vocational schools in the Durant MS area have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance HVAC technology. Confirm that the program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive an excellent education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. 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 Air Conditioning schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It may also suggest that the instructors 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 alumni, which can produce 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 an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Durant MS HVAC employers to assist graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs.  A large number of HVAC training programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of HVAC companies or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with local Durant MS HVAC specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Confirm that the campus 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 specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Durant MS HVAC company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Durant MS home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes.   It’s important that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling.  Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Durant MS, confirm that the programs you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.

Considering an HVAC School near Durant MS?

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

Durant, Mississippi

Durant is a city near the central eastern border of Holmes County, Mississippi, United States. It was founded in 1858 as a station on the Mississippi Central Railroad, later part of the Illinois Central. Durant was named for Louis Durant, a Choctaw chief who had lived on a bluff just across the nearby Big Black River before the United States undertook Indian Removal in the 1830s.

Before the Civil War, this was known as the "dark corner of the county."[4] Cotton plantations were developed along the waterfronts to take advantage of the fertile soil. They were dependent on the labor of numerous black slaves, and the county population was majority black and enslaved.

About 1935 Hazel Brannon Smith, a recent college graduate from Gadsden, Alabama, bought the local weekly newspaper, the Durant News, which had been failing. Over the next several years, she turned it around, and served as its editor and publisher into the early 1970s. In the 1950s she also acquired the Lexington Advertiser, and later two other small papers. She was among the first journalists to cover the African-American community for its positive contributions, noting in 1943 that a local civic group had donated money to the Red Cross. Later she became well known for her editorial writing about the civil rights movement; Holmes County had many activists involved in education and voter registration. In 1964 Smith was the first woman to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing.[5]

HVAC Certification Course Durant MS

Selecting the ideal HVAC training course is an important first step toward a gratifying career in the heating & cooling industry. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Certification Course. However, as we have discussed in this article, you should select an HVAC vocational school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC community. Other features to look for are ample hands-on training and state-of-the-art facilities. You should 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. Try to get a feel for the quality of the instruction and the interaction between them. In addition, inquire about scheduling choices and whether night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And don’t forget to inquire about financial aid and student loan options also. If you ask the appropriate 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 dedication, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC contractor in Durant MS.

More Hot and Cool Locations in Mississippi

  • Air Conditioner Training Course Ridgeland MS
  • HVAC Training Program Clinton MS
  • School for Heating and Air Conditioning Leland MS
  • Air Conditioning Training School Grenada MS
  • Air Conditioner Training Cleveland MS
  • Air Conditioner Schools Jackson MS
  • Air Conditioner Repair School Clarksdale MS
  • Associates Degree in HVAC Hattiesburg MS
  • School for HVAC Technician Brookhaven MS
  • HVAC Technical School Brandon MS
  •  

     

    The location could not be found.

     

    Business Results 1 - 10 of 2

    Guaranteed Service Heating & Cooling
    1 Reviews
    Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC, Electricians, Plumbing
    Phone:
    Madison, MS 39110

    AC Remedies
    2 Reviews
    Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC, Water Heater Installation/Repair
    Phone:
    2084 Dunbarton Dr, Ste A, Jackson, MS 39216