HVAC Education Fairview TN

How to Choose the Right Heating and Cooling Certification Training near Fairview Tennessee

air conditioner condensers in Fairview TN Once you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioner specialist, the next action is to locate an HVAC technical school near Fairview TN. But with so many to pick from, how do you select the best one to receive the training that you need? Some prospective students will make their choice based solely on the cost of tuition or how near the school is to their residence. Even though these are significant factors to consider, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Some of the other things 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 additional benchmarks will be covered 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 a/c specialist does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Specialist

Fairview TN HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is widely used in the trade that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC contractors provide services for the installation, repair and maintenance of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are generally mandated to be licensed, although each state and local municipality has its own prerequisites. Attaining professional certification is not required, but an alternative way for Fairview TN HVAC technicians to establish that they are highly proficient and knowledgeable in their area of specialization. There are a number of respected certifications within the trade that are offered. Here are some of the important ones.

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

Since licensing could be mandated in your area, and you may also wish to obtain certification, it’s imperative that you enroll in 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 school you select readies you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree and Certificate Courses

radiator heater in Fairview TN home There are a number of alternatives offered for HVAC training in a technical or vocational school. You can attain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the least amount of time, usually achieved in just 6 months, however 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 programs may provide a competitive advantage for securing employment and will provide more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Below is a short description of each option offered near Fairview TN.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level commercial or residential HVAC technicians. They furnish a strong foundation of skills for job opportunities within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more detailed knowledge of heating and cooling systems than the certificate program. Usually taking 2 years to complete, many 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 call for an Associate Degree, while others are a conventional 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.

Choosing the appropriate credential program will be based on what your long term career goals are, as well as the time and money that you have to commit. One approach is to start with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after gaining some experience in the field in Fairview TN, later going back to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, make certain to ask the HVAC tech school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Classes

Fairview TN student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC program online is one option in getting your education and earning a degree or certificate. Most schools will require some attendance on campus to participate in hands on training. A number also sponsor internship or work-study programs in addition to or in place of practical lab work. But since the balance of the classes may be attended online, this alternative may be a more accessible solution for many Fairview TN students that are pressed for time. And a number of online degree programs are less costly than other traditional options. Even travelling expenses from Fairview and study supplies may be reduced, helping to make schooling more affordable. And many online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your career or family commitments have left you with little time to attend classes, perhaps an online HVAC degree program will make it less complicated to fit school into your active schedule.

Questions to Ask HVAC Schools

Questions to ask Fairview TN HVAC training schools After you have decided on the type of degree or certificate that you wish to attain, either on campus or online, you can start to limit your list of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are a large number of HVAC technical schools in the Fairview TN area and across the USA to select from. That’s why it is essential to have a checklist of key qualifications when making school comparisons. As previously stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will most likely be the initial two variables you will look at. Following are some additional ones that you need to investigate before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC trade programs in the Fairview TN area have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Make sure that the program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you receive a superior education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require that the HVAC training program be accredited for it 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate might suggest that students were unhappy with the program 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 higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Fairview TN HVAC employers to assist students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of HVAC training programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of Heating and Cooling companies or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with local Fairview TN HVAC specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the area HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school 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, check with the HVAC technician you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Fairview TN HVAC contracting company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are willing to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Fairview TN residence. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors and find out 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 reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Fairview TN, confirm that the programs you are reviewing provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Fairview TN?

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

Fairview, Tennessee

Fairview is a city located in Williamson County, Tennessee. It is part of the Nashville metropolitan area. The population was 7,720 at the 2010 census, which was a 33.1% increase in population from the 2000 census. In the communities just outside Fairview, there are an additional 4,100 people, there are over 11,000 people living within the Fairview area.[citation needed]

Fairview was incorporated on July 28, 1959, under the Uniform City Manager-Commission Charter as set out in the Tennessee Code Annotated. Fairview city limits is located about one mile southwest from the Nashville-Davidson County line and has two interstates passing through it (I-40 & I-840). With an average elevation of 800 feet above sea level, Fairview is about 150 feet higher than Nashville and surrounding suburbs which gives Fairview the advantage of being less flood prone.

It is home to Bowie Nature Park which is one of the largest city managed parks (approx 722 acres) in the state of Tennessee. As a comparison, New York's Central Park is 843 acres. Fairview has two Elementary Schools, Fairview, and Westwood serving over 1000 students with grades K-5. Fairview Middle has an enrollment of 800 plus and is home to grades 6th-8th. FVHS serves over 1000 students, and Fairview High School was listed as one of the top 1000 High Schools in the US according to Newsweek Magazine. Fairview schools are part of the Williamson County School system (www.WCS.edu).

Choosing the ideal HVAC school course is a crucial first step toward a fulfilling career in the heating & cooling trade. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Education. However, as we have covered in this article, you should choose an Heating and Cooling school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC field. Other factors to look for are lots of practical training and modern 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 current students and faculty. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the teaching and the interaction between them. Additionally, inquire about scheduling choices and if night or weekend classes are available if needed. And don’t forget to inquire about financial aid and student loan options too. If you ask the right questions as we have laid out in our guidelines for comparing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make an educated decision. With the appropriate training, hard work and dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC professional in Fairview TN.