Air Conditioning and Heating School Kellyville OK

How to Find the Right Heating and Cooling Certification Training near Kellyville Oklahoma

air conditioner condensers in Kellyville OK Now that you have decided on a career as a heating and air conditioner specialist, the next step is to look for an HVAC technical school near Kellyville OK. But with so many to pick from, how do you select the right one to obtain the training that you require? A number of potential students will make their choice based exclusively on the price of tuition or how near the school is to their home. Even though these are significant considerations, they are not the only ones to investigate. Just some of the other things that you need to investigate are the graduation rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. These and additional benchmarks will be addressed in more detail later within this article. But before we examine how to select an HVAC technical school, let’s take a look at what a heating and cooling technician does to become a licensed skilled tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Pro

Kellyville OK HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is frequently used in the industry that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC contractors provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are generally mandated to be licensed, though each state and regional municipality has its own prerequisites. Obtaining professional certification is not compulsory, but a voluntary way for Kellyville OK HVAC technicians to establish that they are exceptionally qualified and experienced in their area of expertise. There are many recognized certifications within the trade that are offered. Below are some 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 examination 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 professional experience together with passing a comprehensive examination are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have three years of experience together with a passing result on the professional level examination. Similar to NATE, certifications are offered in multiple specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for specialists that handle refrigerants. There are 3 forms of certification obtainable, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Considering that licensing might be required in your area, and you may also desire to obtain certification, it’s essential that you choose an HVAC trade school that will prepare you for both. And since you will probably be working with refrigerants, make certain that the school you select preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree and Certificate Schools

radiator heater in Kellyville OK home There are several options available for HVAC instruction in a technical or trade school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the minimum period of time, often accomplished in just 6 months, although some programs 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 may provide a competitive advantage for securing employment and will provide more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Following is a brief description of each option offered near Kellyville OK.

Certificate. Normally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among beginning residential or commercial HVAC specialists. They furnish a solid foundation of skills for employment within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more extensive knowledge of heating and cooling systems than the certificate program. Usually requiring two years to complete, some degrees incorporate 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 call for 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 ideal credential program will be dependent on what your long term career objectives are, in addition to the time and financial resources that you have to commit. One option is to start with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the trade in Kellyville OK, subsequently going back to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, be sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Training Online

Kellyville OK student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC program online is one approach to attaining your education and receiving a certificate or degree. Nearly all schools will require some attendance on campus to complete hands on training. Many also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended on the web, this option may be a more convenient solution for some Kellyville OK students that are short on time. And some online degree programs are less costly than other on campus choices. Even commuting expenses from Kellyville and study supplies can be lessened, helping to make schooling more economical. And many online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family obligations have left you with little time to attend classes, maybe an HVAC online training program will make it less complicated to accommodate school into your busy lifestyle.

Questions to Ask HVAC Training Classes

Questions to ask Kellyville OK HVAC training schools Once you have selected the type of certificate or degree that you wish to attain, either on campus or online, you can start to narrow down your selection of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are a large number of HVAC technical schools in the Kellyville OK area and all over the United States to pick from. That’s why it is imperative to have a list of important qualifications when making school comparisons. As formerly mentioned in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will most likely be the first 2 factors you will look at. Following are several additional ones that you will want to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. A large number of HVAC trade programs in the Kellyville OK area have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as HVAC technology. Confirm that the program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you get a quality education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states mandate that the HVAC training program be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the HVAC schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate might indicate that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also indicate 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 broader list of graduates, which may result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Kellyville OK HVAC employers to help graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC technical programs are taught in conjunction 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 businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with local Kellyville OK HVAC specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the HVAC technician you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Kellyville OK HVAC contractor if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Kellyville OK residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their comments regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Kellyville OK, confirm that the schools you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Kellyville OK?

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

Kellyville, Oklahoma

Kellyville was named for James E. Kelly, who established a local trading post in 1892 and opened a post office on November 27, 1893. St. Louis and Oklahoma City Railroad (later merged into the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway) built a line through Kellyville in 1898.[4]

Oklahoma's worst train disaster took place just west of Kellyville on September 28, 1917, when two Frisco trains collided. Twenty-three people were killed and eighty injured. It remains one of the country's bloodiest train wrecks due to the large number of cattle deaths. In the early 1970s, there were plans to build a ski resort in Kellyville — Oklahoma's first — using artificial snow, but the idea was short-lived due to the region's climate.[5]

Oil and gas were discovered nearby in 1915. This created a population boom and attracted construction of a refinery in Kellyville. By 1930, the population was 548. Although oil and gas production waned, population continued to grow. Now, 97 percent of the employed residents commute to jobs in Sapulpa and Tulsa.[4]

Air Conditioning and Heating School Kellyville OK

Choosing the right HVAC training program is a crucial beginning toward a gratifying career in the heating and cooling field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Air Conditioning and Heating School. However, as we have addressed in this post, you should pick an Heating and Cooling trade school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC field. Other factors to search for are plenty of hands-on training and modern facilities. You should visit each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to explore the campus and speak with both the current students and faculty. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. Additionally, ask about scheduling choices and whether or not evening or weekend classes are available if needed. And remember to inquire about financial assistance and student loan options too. If you ask the proper questions as we have outlined in our guidelines for evaluating schools, you’ll be able to filter your options 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 Kellyville OK.