Learn Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Brooklyn CT

How to Pick the Right Heating and Cooling College near Brooklyn Connecticut

air conditioner condensers in Brooklyn CT Once you have decided on a career as a heating and cooling specialist, the next step is to find an HVAC vocational school near Brooklyn CT. But with so many to pick from, how do you choose the best one to obtain the training that you need? Many future students will make their choice based solely on the price of tuition or how close the school is to their home. Although these are relevant factors to consider, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Just some of the other details that you need to investigate are the graduation rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. Those and additional criteria will be discussed in more detail later within this article. But before we examine how to pick an HVAC technical school, let’s look at what a heating and cooling professional does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Specialist

Brooklyn CT HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is commonly used in the trade that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC techs specialize in the installation, maintenance and repair of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are typically required to be licensed, although every state and local municipality has its own criteria. Attaining professional certification is not required, but a voluntary way for Brooklyn CT HVAC technicians to prove that they are exceptionally qualified and accomplished in their area of specialization. There are many respected certifications within the industry that are offered. Here are a few of the significant ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally recognized certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is earned by passing a competency exam and may be received in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification makes available both a professional and a master specialist credential. Two years of professional experience together with passing a comprehensive exam are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have three years of experience in addition to a passing result on the professional level examination. As with NATE, certifications are provided in multiple specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is mandatory for specialists that handle refrigerants. There are 3 types of certification available, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing may be mandated in your area, and you may also intend to obtain certification, it’s essential that you choose an HVAC trade school that will prepare you for both. And since you will probably be handling refrigerants, make sure that the school you choose prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Courses

radiator heater in Brooklyn CT home There are a number of options 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 lesser amount of time, typically accomplished in just six months, although some programs are longer. A certificate will train you for the majority of HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification related to the position. The degree training programs can provide a competitive edge for securing employment and will provide more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a brief description of each option offered near Brooklyn CT.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among beginning residential or commercial HVAC professionals. They provide a solid foundation of skills for employment within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program supplies a more exhaustive understanding of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Generally requiring 2 years to finish, a number of degrees incorporate 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 require an Associate Degree, while others are a traditional four 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 right credential program will be dependent on what your future career objectives are, along with the time and money that you have to invest. One possibility is to start with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after acquiring some experience in the trade in Brooklyn CT, eventually returning to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, make certain to ask the HVAC technician school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Classes Online

Brooklyn CT student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC program online is one possibility to attaining your training and receiving a degree or certificate. Almost all schools will require some attendance on campus to take part in practical 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 via the internet, this approach may be a more convenient solution for some Brooklyn CT students that are short on time. And a number of online degree programs are less expensive than other traditional alternatives. Even driving expenses from Brooklyn and study materials may be reduced, helping to make education more budget-friendly. And a large number of online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your career or family responsibilities 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 busy lifestyle.

Questions For HVAC Training Classes

Questions to ask Brooklyn CT HVAC training schools When you have selected the type of degree or certificate that you would like to obtain, either on campus or online, you can begin to decrease your list of schools. As you are probably aware, there are many HVAC vocational schools in the Brooklyn CT area and across the USA to choose from. That’s why it is imperative to have a checklist of relevant qualifiers when making school comparisons. As previously stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will undoubtedly be the initial two factors you will take into consideration. Following are some additional ones that you will want to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. A large number of HVAC vocational programs in the Brooklyn CT area have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as HVAC technology. Make certain that the program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you get a superior education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states require that the HVAC training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Air Conditioning schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also signify that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Brooklyn CT HVAC employers to assist graduates acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many HVAC vocational programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of HVAC businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with local Brooklyn CT HVAC professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Brooklyn CT HVAC contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Brooklyn CT home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

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

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Brooklyn CT, check that the schools you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.

Considering an HVAC School near Brooklyn CT?

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

Brooklyn, Connecticut

Brooklyn is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,210 at the 2000 census. The town center village is listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place. The district of East Brooklyn is also listed as a separate census-designated place.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 29.1 square miles (75 km2), of which, 29.0 square miles (75 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) of it (0.58%) is water.

Settled in the late 17th century and incorporated as its own town in 1786, Brooklyn is now one of the fastest growing towns in Windham County. It is named for the Quinebaug River, or Brook Line, which forms its eastern boundary. Originally land of the Wabaquasset, Brooklyn incorporated as a town separate from Canterbury and Pomfret in May 1786. It is home to the Brooklyn Fair, America's oldest continuously operating agricultural fair, as well as the Brooklyn Correctional Institution, a state-run medium security prison.

Learn Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Brooklyn CT

Choosing the ideal HVAC school course is an important first step toward a rewarding career in the heating & cooling field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Learn Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. However, as we have covered in this post, you need to choose an Heating and Cooling trade school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have exceptional reputations within the HVAC trade. Other features to search for are plenty of practical training and modern facilities. You need to visit each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to explore the campus and speak with both the faculty and current students. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. Also, inquire about scheduling choices and if evening or weekend classes are available if needed. And don’t forget to inquire about financial aid and student loan options also. If you ask the right questions as we have detailed in our guidelines for assessing schools, you’ll be able to filter your options so that you can make an informed decision. With the right training, hard work and commitment, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC contractor in Brooklyn CT.