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Cooling Classes East Alton IL

How to Select the Right Heating and Cooling Certification Course near East Alton Illinois

air conditioner condensers in East Alton ILOnce you have decided on a career as a heating and air conditioning technician, the next action is to find an HVAC technical school near East Alton IL. But with so many to choose from, how do you select the best one to receive the training that you require? Many prospective students will make their decision based solely on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their home. Even though these are necessary concerns, they are not the only ones to take into account. 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 discussed in more detail later within this article. But before we examine how to pick an HVAC training program, let’s look at what a heating and cooling specialist does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Tech

East Alton IL HVAC Tech installing water heaterHVAC is an acronym that is extensively used in the business that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC techs specialize in the installation, maintenance and repair of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are typically mandated to be licensed, however every state and regional municipality has its own prerequisites. Attaining professional certification is not mandatory, but an optional way for East Alton IL HVAC techs to establish that they are highly skilled and knowledgeable in their area of expertise. There are a number of respected certifications within the trade that are offered. Following are a few of the important ones.

  • North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is earned by passing a competency examination and can be acquired in one or more specialties.
  • HVAC Excellence. This certification makes available both a professional and a master specialist credential. 2 years of professional experience in addition to passing a comprehensive exam are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists must 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 required for specialists that work with refrigerants. There are 3 forms of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Since licensing could be mandated in your location, and you may also desire to earn certification, it’s imperative that you pick an HVAC vocational school that will prepare you for both. And since you will probably be handling refrigerants, make certain that the program you choose prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Schools

radiator heater in East Alton IL homeThere are several choices available for HVAC training in a trade or technical school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the minimum period of time, often achieved in just six months, although some courses are longer. A certificate will qualify you for most HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree training programs can provide a competitive edge in the job market and will provide more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief explanation of each option offered near East Alton IL.

  • 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 employment within the industry.
  • Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more detailed understanding of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Usually taking two years to finish, many degrees incorporate an internship or work-study program.
  • Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is tailored more for a career in management or even business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a traditional 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 appropriate credential program will be dependent on what your long term career goals are, in addition to the time and financial resources that you have to commit. One possibility is to start with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the field in East Alton IL, eventually going back to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, make certain to ask the HVAC tech school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Classes Online

East Alton IL student attending HVAC school onlineChoosing an HVAC school online is one alternative in obtaining your training and receiving a certificate or degree. Almost all schools will require some attendance on campus to take part in practical training. Some also offer internship or work-study programs in addition to or as an alternative to practical lab work. But since the remainder of the classes can be participated in on the web, this approach may be a more convenient solution for some East Alton IL students that are pressed for time. And many online degree programs are less costly than other traditional alternatives. Even commuting expenses from East Alton and study supplies can be reduced, helping to make schooling 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 little time to attend classes, maybe an HVAC online training program will make it less complicated to fit school into your active lifestyle.

Questions to Ask HVAC Certification Courses

Questions to ask East Alton IL HVAC training schoolsAfter you have chosen the type of certificate or degree that you would like to obtain, either on campus or online, you can start to narrow down your selection of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are numerous HVAC technical schools in the East Alton IL area and across the United States to choose from. That’s why it is imperative to have a checklist of important qualifiers when making school comparisons. As earlier mentioned in our opening paragraph, location and tuition will undoubtedly be the first two factors you will look at. Following are several additional ones that you should explore before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation.  Many HVAC vocational programs in the East Alton IL area have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, for instance HVAC technology. Make sure that the school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get an excellent education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Also, some states mandate that the HVAC training program be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates.  Ask the Heating and Cooling schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate may suggest that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also mean that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may mean more contacts for the school to employ 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 East Alton IL HVAC employers to assist graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs.  A large number of HVAC vocational programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of Heating and Cooling companies or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with local East Alton IL HVAC professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make sure that the school 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 already in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the HVAC tech you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local East Alton IL HVAC company if they can provide some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your East Alton IL home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

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

Flexible Scheduling.  Make sure 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 East Alton IL, check that the schools you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near East Alton IL?

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

East Alton, Illinois

Like many Riverbend communities, the town dates back to when European settlers came to the area in the early 19th century. And it wasn’t always East Alton — the community was known as Emerald, Milton Settlement and Alton Junction.[5] Alton Junction was also known as Wann Junction, famous locally for being the site of a horrific rail disaster.[6]

According to the 2010 census, East Alton has a total area of 5.564 square miles (14.41 km2), of which 5.33 square miles (13.80 km2) (or 95.79%) is land and 0.234 square miles (0.61 km2) (or 4.21%) is water.[8]

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 6,830 people, 2,965 households, and 1,787 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,241.3 people per square mile (479.5/km²). There were 3,171 housing units at an average density of 576.3 per square mile (222.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.72% White, 0.94% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.

Cooling Classes East Alton IL

Finding the ideal HVAC school program 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 Cooling Classes. However, as we have discussed in this article, you need to pick an HVAC vocational school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC profession. Other features to search for are plenty of practical training and state-of-the-art facilities. You need to check out each of the schools personally 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 training and the interaction between them. Also, inquire about scheduling choices and whether or not night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And don’t forget to ask about financial assistance and student loan options also. If you ask the proper questions as we have outlined in our guidelines for evaluating schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make an informed decision. With the right training, hard work and commitment, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC technician in East Alton IL.

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