HVAC Night School Kittanning PA

How to Select the Right HVAC Certificate Program near Kittanning Pennsylvania

air conditioner condensers in Kittanning PA Once you have decided on a career as a heating and cooling technician, the next step is to look for an HVAC trade school near Kittanning PA. But with so many to select from, how do you decide on the ideal one to get the training that you require? A number of future students will make their decision based solely on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their home. While these are important concerns, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Some of the other details that you need to research are the graduation rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. These and other criteria will be addressed in more detail later in this article. But before we tackle how to select an HVAC trade school, let’s take a look at what a heating and air conditioning contractor does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Technician

Kittanning PA 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 contractors provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are commonly mandated to be licensed, although every state and regional municipality has its own requirements. Earning professional certification is not mandatory, but an alternative means for Kittanning PA HVAC specialists to establish that they are highly qualified and experienced in their area of expertise. There are many recognized certifications within the field that are available. Below are some of the significant ones.

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

Because licensing could be mandated in your area, and you may also desire to obtain certification, it’s important that you select an HVAC technical school that will train you for both. And since you will probably be working with refrigerants, make sure that the school you choose preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Degree and Certificate Courses

radiator heater in Kittanning PA home There are several options available for HVAC instruction in a technical or vocational school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Acquiring a certificate will take the lesser amount of time, often completed in just six months, though some courses are longer. A certificate will qualify you for the majority of HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification appropriate to the position. The degree training programs can provide a competitive advantage in the job market and will deliver more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a short summary of each option offered near Kittanning PA.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among beginning commercial or residential HVAC professionals. They furnish a solid foundation of skills for employment within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program supplies a more exhaustive background of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Usually taking 2 years to finish, a number of degrees feature 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 standard 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.

Selecting the right credential program will be based on what your long term career objectives are, as well as the time and financial resources that you have to commit. One approach is to begin with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after acquiring some experience in the field in Kittanning PA, later going back to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your approach, make certain to ask the HVAC tech school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Courses Online

Kittanning PA student attending HVAC school online Choosing an HVAC school online is one approach in getting your training and earning a certificate or degree. Nearly all schools will call for 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 participated in via the internet, this alternative may be a more practical solution for some Kittanning PA students that are pressed for time. And a number of online degree programs are cheaper than other traditional options. Even commuting expenses from Kittanning and study materials can be lessened, helping to make schooling more affordable. And numerous online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family commitments have left you with little time to attend classes, maybe an online HVAC degree program will make it more convenient to accommodate school into your hectic lifestyle.

Questions to Ask HVAC Schools

Questions to ask Kittanning PA HVAC training schools As soon as you have picked the type of degree or certificate that you want to attain, either on campus or online, you can start to decrease your list of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are many HVAC vocational schools in the Kittanning PA area and across the Country to choose from. That’s why it is very important to have a list of key qualifications when making school assessments. As earlier mentioned in our opening paragraph, location and tuition will most likely be the first two factors you will take into consideration. Following are some additional ones that you need to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Numerous HVAC trade schools in the Kittanning PA area have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Confirm that the program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get an excellent education, it may help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states require that the HVAC training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Cooling schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It may also signify 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 directory of alumni, which can mean 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 Kittanning PA HVAC employers to help grads secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of Heating and Cooling companies or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with local Kittanning PA HVAC professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment 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. Otherwise, ask a local Kittanning PA HVAC company if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Kittanning PA residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few 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 opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Kittanning PA, verify that the programs you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.

Considering an HVAC School near Kittanning PA?

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

Kittanning, Pennsylvania

Kittanning (/kɪˈtænɪŋ/ pronounced k-TAN-ing) is a borough and the county seat of Armstrong County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.[3] It is situated 44 miles (71 km) northeast of Pittsburgh, along the east bank of the Allegheny River.

The name is derived from Kithanink,[4] which means 'on the main river' in Lenape or the Delaware language, from kit- 'big' + hane 'mountain river' + -ink (suffix used in place names). "The main river" is a Lenape term for the Allegheny and Ohio combined, which they considered as all one river.[5] The borough and its bridge have been used as a setting for several recent films.

The borough is located on the east bank of the Allegheny River, founded on the site of the eighteenth-century Lenape (Delaware) village of Kittanning at the western end of the Kittanning Path, an ancient Indian path.

Selecting the ideal HVAC training course is a crucial beginning toward a rewarding career in the heating & cooling trade. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Night School. However, as we have discussed in this post, you should choose an HVAC vocational school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC trade. Other factors to search for are plenty of practical training and state-of-the-art facilities. You need to go to each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and speak with both the faculty and current students. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. Additionally, inquire about scheduling options and whether or not evening or weekend classes are offered if needed. And remember to ask about financial assistance and student loan options too. If you ask the appropriate questions as we have detailed in our checklist for assessing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your options so that you can make an educated decision. With the right training, hard work and dedication, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC professional in Kittanning PA.