Air Conditioning Technician Training Middleburg PA

How to Pick the Right HVAC Program near Middleburg Pennsylvania

air conditioner condensers in Middleburg PA Now that you have made a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioner specialist, the next step is to look for an HVAC vocational school near Middleburg PA. But with so many to pick from, how do you choose the right one to get the training that you need? Many future students will make their decision based solely on the cost of tuition or how near the school is to their residence. While these are necessary considerations, they are not the only ones to evaluate. A few of the other things that you need to look into are the graduation completion 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 discuss how to select an HVAC vocational school, let’s take a look at what a heating and air conditioning contractor does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Professional

Middleburg PA HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is widely 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, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are generally required to be licensed, although each state and local municipality has its own criteria. Obtaining professional certification is not required, but an optional means for Middleburg PA HVAC technicians to prove that they are exceptionally skilled and accomplished in their area of expertise. There are several recognized certifications within the field that are offered. Below are a few of the important 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. 2 years of professional experience in addition to 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 exam. As with NATE, certifications are provided in various specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for techs that handle refrigerants. There are 3 forms of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing might be mandated in your area, and you may also desire to obtain certification, it’s imperative that you choose an HVAC vocational school that will train you for both. And since you will most likely be dealing with refrigerants, make sure that the program you select readies you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Degree Classes

radiator heater in Middleburg PA home There are a number of choices offered for HVAC instruction in a technical or trade school. You can earn a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Obtaining a certificate will take the least period of time, typically achieved in as little as six months, although some programs are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree training programs might provide a competitive advantage for securing employment and will deliver more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Following is a short explanation of each credential offered near Middleburg PA.

Certificate. Normally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among entry level commercial or residential HVAC specialists. They furnish a solid foundation of skills for job opportunities within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more exhaustive background of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Usually requiring two years to complete, many degrees incorporate an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is geared more for a career in management as well as business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a standard four 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.

Picking the appropriate credential program will be dependent on what your long term career objectives are, as well as the time and money that you have to invest. One possibility is to start with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after gaining some experience in the trade in Middleburg PA, eventually returning to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, make sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Courses Online

Middleburg PA student attending HVAC school online Attending an HVAC school online is one option in getting your education and earning a degree or certificate. Nearly all schools will require some attendance on campus to take part in practical training. A number also sponsor internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the balance of the classes can be participated in online, this alternative may be a more accessible solution for some Middleburg PA students that are short on time. And a number of online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus alternatives. Even travelling expenses from Middleburg and study materials can be minimized, helping to make education more economical. And a large number of online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your work or family obligations have left you with limited time to attend classes, maybe an online HVAC degree program will make it less complicated to accommodate school into your busy schedule.

Questions to Ask HVAC Certification Classes

Questions to ask Middleburg PA HVAC training schools Once you have picked the type of degree or certificate that you want to acquire, either on campus or online, you can start to narrow down your list of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are many HVAC technical schools in the Middleburg PA area and across the Country to pick from. That’s why it is essential to have a checklist of key qualifiers when making school evaluations. As previously stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will most likely be the first two variables you will look at. Following are some additional ones that you will want to investigate before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC technical schools in the Middleburg PA area have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Confirm that the program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive a quality education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states require that the HVAC training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Cooling schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may indicate that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It may also mean that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Middleburg PA HVAC employers to help students secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of HVAC technical programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of HVAC contractors or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with local Middleburg PA HVAC companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the HVAC specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Middleburg PA HVAC company if they can provide some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Middleburg PA residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in 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 desirable that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Middleburg PA, check that the schools you are comparing offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering an HVAC School near Middleburg PA?

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

Middleburg, Pennsylvania

Middleburg is a borough in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,309 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Snyder County.[3] Middleburg is part of the Selinsgrove, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, and is also part of the larger Bloomsburg-Berwick-Sunbury, PA Combined Statistical Area.

Native Americans had lived in the region for centuries. White settlers are recorded living in the area in 1755. Middleburg was originally named Swinefordstown (Swinefordstettle in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect) after John Albright Swineford who ran a tavern here in 1787. He was also the owner of land located on the north bank of the Middle Creek on which engineer Frederick Evans laid out the town in 1800.[4] This town became known as Middleburgh circa 1825, and was incorporated as a borough in 1864.[5]

A portion of the site that Middleburg occupies was the location of the Stump's Run Massacre in January 1768. Stump's Run is located to the west of the Glendale Cemetery and is also near the Snyder County Historical Society. In this incident, two colonists named Frederick Stump and John Ironcutter were found to be responsible for the deaths of four Native American men, three Native American women, and three children over a two-day period. Four of the men and two of the women were killed at Stump's cabin, which was located at the mouth of the Middle Creek near Selinsgrove. After Stump and Ironcutter shoved the bodies through a hole in the ice, they traveled up the creek to Stump's Run to kill the remaining woman and the children. These bodies were thrown into the native cabins, and the cabins burned. Although the men claimed self-defense, it is suspected that this could have been provoked by a drunken brawl, or that the natives were killed by Stump in retaliation for the deaths of his wife and children at the hands of Native American raiders. The two men were arrested and taken to the Cumberland County jail at Carlisle for trial, but were freed at the hands of a sympathetic mob. The men were never recaptured.[6]

Air Conditioning Technician Training Middleburg PA

Picking the ideal HVAC school course is an important first step toward a fulfilling career in the heating & cooling industry. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Air Conditioning Technician Training. However, as we have addressed in this article, you need to choose an Heating and Cooling training program and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have exceptional reputations within the HVAC community. Other things to look for are lots of hands-on training and modern facilities. You should go to each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to tour the campus and talk with both the faculty and current students. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the instruction and the interaction between them. Also, ask about scheduling choices and if night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And remember to ask about financial aid and student loan options also. If you ask the appropriate questions as we have detailed in our guidelines for comparing schools, you’ll be able to filter your options so that you can make an informed decision. With the right training, hard work and dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC professional in Middleburg PA.