HVAC Schools Byron GA

How to Enroll In the Right HVAC Certification Course near Byron Georgia

air conditioner condensers in Byron GAOnce you have decided on a career as a heating and cooling professional, the next action is to choose an HVAC technical school near Byron GA. But with so many to select from, how do you pick the best one to receive the training that you require? Some future students will make their decision based exclusively on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their home. While these are significant concerns, they are not the only ones to investigate. 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 criteria will be addressed in more detail later within this article. But before we tackle how to pick an HVAC vocational school, let’s look at what a heating and cooling specialist does to become a licensed skilled tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Tech

Byron GA HVAC Tech installing water heaterHVAC is an acronym that is extensively used in the business that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC professionals specialize in the installation, repair and maintenance of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are commonly mandated to be licensed, though each state and regional municipality has its own prerequisites. Attaining professional certification is not compulsory, but a voluntary means for Byron GA HVAC specialists to prove that they are highly proficient and experienced in their area of expertise. There are several acknowledged certifications within the trade that are offered. Following 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 examination and can be acquired 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 examination are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have 3 years of experience in addition to a passing score on the professional level examination. Similar to NATE, certifications are provided in various specialties.
  • EPA Section 608. This certification is mandatory for technicians that work with refrigerants. There are three types of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Since licensing may be mandated in your location, and you may also desire to obtain certification, it’s imperative that you enroll in an HVAC technical school that will train you for both. And since you will most likely be handling refrigerants, make sure that the school you decide on readies you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree Courses

radiator heater in Byron GA homeThere are a variety of choices offered for HVAC instruction in a technical or trade school. You can attain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Acquiring a certificate will take the least period of time, typically achieved in as little as six months, however 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 for securing employment and will provide more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a brief description of each option offered near Byron GA.

  • Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level residential or commercial HVAC professionals. They provide a strong foundation of skills for employment within the industry.
  • Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more comprehensive understanding of heating and cooling systems than the certificate program. Typically requiring 2 years to finish, many degrees include an internship or work-study program.
  • Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is tailored more towards a career in management or even business ownership. Some programs call for an Associate Degree, while others are a standard four year program. In addition to being taught how to service and maintain heating and cooling systems, you will also study how to design them.

Picking the right credential program will be based on what your long term career aspirations are, as well as the time and money that you have to invest. One option is to start with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after acquiring some experience in the field in Byron GA, subsequently going back to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, make sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Courses

Byron GA student attending HVAC school onlineEnrolling in an HVAC program online is one option to attaining your education and earning a degree or certificate. Most schools will require some attendance on campus to take part in practical training. Many also sponsor internship or work-study programs in addition to or in place of practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes may be attended via the internet, this alternative may be a more practical solution for some Byron GA students that are short on time. And a number of online degree programs are less costly than other on campus choices. Even driving expenses from Byron and study supplies may be lessened, helping to make schooling more affordable. And many online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your career 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 hectic schedule.

Questions to Ask HVAC Certification Classes

Questions to ask Byron GA HVAC training schoolsOnce you have picked the type of certificate or degree that you wish to earn, either on campus or online, you can start to narrow down your list of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of HVAC technical schools in the Byron GA area and throughout the Country to select from. That’s why it is very important to have a list of key qualifications when making school comparisons. As earlier stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will most likely be the first 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 technical schools in the Byron GA area have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to an individual program, such as HVAC technology. Confirm that the program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it can assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Also, many states mandate that the HVAC training program be accredited in order to be approved 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 may suggest that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It might also indicate that the teachers were not qualified to instruct 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 may result in 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 industry, but also that it has the network of Byron GA HVAC employers to help graduates obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs.  Most HVAC vocational programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of Heating and Cooling businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with local Byron GA HVAC companies. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities.  Make certain that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC technician you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. Otherwise, ask a local Byron GA HVAC contractor if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Byron GA home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there may be higher tuition charges 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 a few of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling.  Verify 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 Byron GA, verify that the programs you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering an HVAC School near Byron GA?

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

Byron, Georgia

Byron is a city located primarily in Peach County, Georgia, United States. A small portion of the city extends into Houston County. The population was 4,512 at the 2010 census,[4] up from 2,887 in 2000. The city is in the Macon metropolitan area.

Byron was home to the Middle Georgia Raceway, an auto racetrack that hosted NASCAR races and the filming of TV commercials and a feature movie. From July 3–5, 1970, in a field next to the raceway, the Atlanta International Pop Festival was held, which was the largest gathering in Georgia history until the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.[5] On September 15, 2012, an official Georgia Historical Society marker was placed near the raceway site to commemorate the festival.[6]

The community was named after Lord Byron, the British Romantic poet.[7] A former variant name was "Jackson", but the name was changed in order to avoid repetition with the Jackson in Butts County.[8] The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place as the "Town of Byron" in 1874.[9]

HVAC Schools Byron GA

Enrolling in the right HVAC training course is a critical first step toward a fulfilling career in the heating & cooling trade. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Schools. However, as we have addressed in this post, you should pick an HVAC school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC field. Other things to search for are ample hands-on training and state-of-the-art facilities. You should check out each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to tour the campus and talk with both the faculty and current students. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the instruction and the interaction between them. Also, ask about scheduling options and whether night or weekend classes are available if needed. And remember to ask about financial assistance and student loan options as well. If you ask the proper 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 right training, hard work and dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC technician in Byron GA.

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