HVAC Online Course Cedar Grove WV

How to Find the Right Heating and Cooling College near Cedar Grove West Virginia

air conditioner condensers in Cedar Grove WV Now that you have made a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioner specialist, the next step is to find an HVAC vocational school near Cedar Grove WV. But with so many to choose from, how do you select the ideal one to obtain the training that you need? Many future students will make their selection based solely on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their home. Even though these are significant concerns, they are not the only ones to take into account. Just some of the other things that you need to investigate are the graduation completion rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. Those and other benchmarks will be covered in more detail later within this article. But before we discuss how to pick an HVAC technical school, let’s take a look at what a heating and a/c contractor does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Specialist

Cedar Grove WV HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is frequently used in the trade that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC technicians specialize in the installation, repair and maintenance of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are generally required to be licensed, though each state and local municipality has its own criteria. Attaining professional certification is not required, but an optional means for Cedar Grove WV HVAC techs to prove that they are highly qualified and knowledgeable in their area of expertise. There are several respected certifications within the industry that are available. Below are a few of the important ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally recognized certification for HVAC techs. The certification is earned by passing a competency examination and may be received in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification offers both a professional and a master specialist credential. Two years of field experience together with passing a comprehensive exam are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have three years of experience in addition to a passing score on the professional level exam. Similar to NATE, certifications are made available in various specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is necessary 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.

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

HVAC Degree and Certificate Courses

radiator heater in Cedar Grove WV home There are several alternatives available for HVAC instruction in a vocational or trade school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Obtaining a certificate will take the minimum period of time, often accomplished in as little as 6 months, however some courses are longer. A certificate will train you for the majority of HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree programs can provide a competitive advantage for securing employment and will deliver more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Following is a brief description of each credential offered near Cedar Grove WV.

Certificate. Normally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among beginning commercial or residential HVAC specialists. They furnish a strong foundation of skills for employment within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more exhaustive knowledge of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Typically taking 2 years to complete, some degrees feature 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 conventional 4 year program. In addition to being taught how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also learn how to design them.

Selecting the right credential program will be dependent on what your long term career aspirations are, together with the time and money that you have to invest. One option is to begin with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after acquiring some experience in the trade in Cedar Grove WV, eventually going back to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, make certain to ask the HVAC technician school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Training

Cedar Grove WV student attending HVAC school online Choosing an HVAC school online is one approach to obtaining your education and earning a certificate or degree. Almost all schools will require some attendance on campus to take part in hands on training. Some also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or as an alternative to practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes may be participated in online, this alternative may be a more convenient solution for many Cedar Grove WV students that are pressed for time. And some online degree programs are more economical than other on campus choices. Even travelling expenses from Cedar Grove and study materials may be lessened, helping to make education more affordable. And numerous online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your work or family responsibilities have left you with minimal time to attend classes, maybe an online HVAC degree program will make it easier to accommodate school into your active schedule.

Questions For HVAC Training Programs

Questions to ask Cedar Grove WV HVAC training schools After you have chosen the type of degree or certificate that you want to acquire, either online or on campus, you can begin to decrease your selection of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous HVAC trade schools in the Cedar Grove WV area and across the USA to choose from. That’s why it is essential to have a checklist of relevant qualifiers when making school evaluations. As earlier mentioned in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will probably be the first 2 factors you will take into consideration. Following are several additional ones that you need to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. A large number of HVAC technical schools in the Cedar Grove WV area have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for example HVAC technology. Verify that the school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Also, some states mandate that the HVAC training program be accredited in order 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 program. A low completion rate might signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It could also signify that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but also that it has the network of Cedar Grove WV HVAC employers to assist students acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC trade programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical programs 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 considering have working partnerships with local Cedar Grove WV HVAC professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local 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 on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the HVAC tech you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Cedar Grove WV HVAC company if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within driving distance of your Cedar Grove WV home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Cedar Grove WV, verify that the schools you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, 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 Cedar Grove WV?

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

Cedar Grove, West Virginia

Cedar Grove is a town in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 997 at the 2010 census. Cedar Grove was incorporated in 1902. Its name is derived from the fact that at the time the town was established, a large juniper forest, misidentified as cedars by early settlers, was growing at that location. Cedar Grove is the site of Fort Kelley and the oldest settlement in the Kanawha Valley, dating from 1773. Landmarks located here include the Tompkins Home (1844) and the Old Brick Church (1853).[6]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 997 people, 400 households, and 279 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,384.7 inhabitants per square mile (534.6/km2). There were 447 housing units at an average density of 620.8 per square mile (239.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.6% White, 1.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 400 households of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.3% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.97.

Selecting the ideal HVAC school course is an important first step toward a gratifying career in the heating and air conditioning industry. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Online Course. However, as we have addressed in this article, you should choose an Heating and Cooling training program and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have exceptional reputations within the HVAC community. Other things to search for are lots of practical training and state-of-the-art facilities. You need to visit 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. Try to get a feel for the quality of the teaching and the interaction between them. In addition, inquire about scheduling choices and if night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And don’t forget to inquire about financial assistance and student loan options as well. If you ask the proper questions as we have laid out in our checklist for comparing schools, you’ll be able to filter your options so that you can make an educated decision. With the right training, hard work and dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC specialist in Cedar Grove WV.