HVAC Certification Courses Slippery Rock PA

How to Enroll In the Right Heating and Cooling Training Program near Slippery Rock Pennsylvania

air conditioner condensers in Slippery Rock PA Once you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and cooling technician, the next step is to locate an HVAC technical school near Slippery Rock PA. But with so many to choose from, how do you select the best one to get the training that you require? Many prospective students will make their decision based entirely on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their residence. Although these are significant factors to consider, they are not the only ones to take into account. 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. Those and additional criteria will be covered in more detail later in this article. But before we tackle how to pick an HVAC technical school, let’s look at what a heating and air conditioning professional does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Specialist

Slippery Rock 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 professionals provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are generally required to be licensed, however every state and regional municipality has its own requirements. Obtaining professional certification is not required, but a voluntary means for Slippery Rock PA HVAC technicians to establish that they are exceptionally qualified and experienced in their area of expertise. There are several respected certifications within the field that are available. 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. Two years of field experience in addition to passing a comprehensive examination 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 examination. As with NATE, certifications are made available in several specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for specialists that handle refrigerants. There are three types of certification available, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Since licensing might be mandated in your area, and you may also desire to acquire certification, it’s imperative that you pick an HVAC technical school that will train you for both. And since you will more than likely be working with refrigerants, make sure that the program you pick prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree and Certificate Courses

radiator heater in Slippery Rock 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. Acquiring a certificate will take the minimum amount of time, usually completed in as little as 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 appropriate to the position. The degree training programs might provide a competitive advantage in the job market and will furnish more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a short summary of each option offered near Slippery Rock PA.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among entry level commercial or residential HVAC technicians. They provide a solid foundation of skills for job opportunities within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more detailed understanding of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Normally 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 conventional 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 appropriate credential program will be dependent on what your long term career objectives are, together with the time and money that you have to invest. One approach is to begin with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the field in Slippery Rock PA, later going back to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, make sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Schools

Slippery Rock PA student attending HVAC school online Choosing an HVAC school online is one option to getting your training and earning a certificate or degree. Most schools will call for some attendance on campus to participate in practical training. Some also offer internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes may be participated in on the web, this approach may be a more practical solution for some Slippery Rock PA students that are pressed for time. And a number of online degree programs are cheaper than other traditional options. Even driving expenses from Slippery Rock and study materials may be lessened, helping to make education more budget-friendly. And many online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family obligations have left you with minimal time to attend classes, maybe an online HVAC degree program will make it more convenient to accommodate school into your hectic schedule.

Questions For HVAC Schools

Questions to ask Slippery Rock PA HVAC training schools As soon as you have selected the type of certificate or degree that you desire to attain, either online or on campus, you can start to limit your selection of schools. As you are probably aware, there are a large number of HVAC trade schools in the Slippery Rock PA area and throughout the United States to choose from. That’s why it is essential to have a checklist of relevant qualifiers when making school comparisons. As earlier stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will most likely be the initial 2 variables you will consider. Following are some additional ones that you will want to investigate before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. A large number of HVAC vocational programs in the Slippery Rock PA area have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Confirm that the school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you get a superior education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require that the HVAC training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the HVAC schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may suggest that students were disappointed with the program and quit. It may also indicate that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of Slippery Rock PA HVAC employers to help students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of HVAC trade programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of Heating and Cooling companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with local Slippery Rock PA HVAC professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding 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 certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the HVAC specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Slippery Rock PA HVAC company if they can provide some tips. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Slippery Rock PA residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with a few of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Slippery Rock PA, confirm that the schools you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family issues.

Considering an HVAC School near Slippery Rock PA?

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

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,625 at the 2010 census.[4] It is home to the Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Slippery Rock is included in the Pittsburgh, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Slippery Rock is located in northwest Butler County at 41°3′49″N 80°3′18″W / 41.06361°N 80.05500°W / 41.06361; -80.05500 (41.063746, -80.055007).[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.3 km2), all of it land.[4]Slippery Rock Creek, the borough's namesake, runs through a valley 2 miles (3 km) south of the borough.

Since the 1960s Slippery Rock has been well served by the Interstate Highway system as Interstate 79 (north-south) and Interstate 80 (east-west) cross 12 miles (19 km) to the north. The closest access to I-79 is 4 miles (6 km) to the west on Pennsylvania Route 108. PA 258 (N. Main Street) leads northwest 7.7 miles (12.4 km) to I-79.

Picking the right HVAC training course is an important beginning toward a gratifying career in the heating and cooling field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Certification Courses. However, as we have covered in this post, you should select an HVAC technical school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC trade. Other features to look for are lots of hands-on training and state-of-the-art facilities. You need to go to 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. Additionally, inquire about scheduling options and whether evening or weekend classes are offered if needed. And remember to ask about financial aid and student loan options as well. If you ask the appropriate questions as we have detailed in our guidelines for comparing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down 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 professional in Slippery Rock PA.