Heating and Air Training Irvine KY

How to Find the Right HVAC Training Program near Irvine Kentucky

air conditioner condensers in Irvine KY Now that you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioner technician, the next action is to find an HVAC trade school near Irvine KY. But with so many to select from, how do you pick the best one to obtain the training that you need? Some prospective students will make their selection based exclusively on the price of tuition or how near the school is to their home. Even though these are important concerns, they are not the only ones to evaluate. 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 addressed in more detail later within this article. But before we discuss how to choose an HVAC technical school, let’s take a look at what a heating and cooling technician does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Tech

Irvine KY HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is commonly used in the industry that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC contractors specialize in the installation, maintenance and repair of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are commonly required to be licensed, however each state and regional municipality has its own criteria. Earning professional certification is not compulsory, but a voluntary means for Irvine KY HVAC specialists to establish that they are highly skilled and accomplished in their area of specialization. There are multiple respected certifications within the trade that are offered. Following are some of the significant ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally recognized certification for HVAC techs. The certification is attained by passing a competency examination and may be acquired in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification offers both a professional and a master specialist credential. Two years of professional experience as well as passing a comprehensive examination are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have 3 years of experience as well as 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 techs that work with refrigerants. There are 3 types of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing may be mandated in your location, and you may also intend to obtain certification, it’s imperative that you select an HVAC trade school that will train you for both. And since you will more than likely be handling refrigerants, make certain that the school you pick preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Degree and Certificate Courses

radiator heater in Irvine KY home There are a variety of choices 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 minimum period of time, usually completed in as little as six months, though some programs are longer. A certificate will qualify you for most HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification relevant to the position. The degree training programs may provide a competitive advantage in the job market and will furnish more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Following is a short description of each option offered near Irvine KY.

Certificate. Normally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level commercial or residential HVAC technicians. They provide a solid foundation of skills for job opportunities within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more extensive understanding of heating and cooling systems than the certificate program. Normally requiring two years to finish, many degrees include an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is geared more towards 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 mastering how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also study how to design them.

Picking the appropriate credential program will be dependent on what your future career aspirations are, as well as the time and financial resources that you have to invest. One possibility is to start with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the field in Irvine KY, subsequently going back to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your approach, make sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Schools

Irvine KY student attending HVAC school online Choosing an HVAC school online is one possibility to attaining your training and receiving a certificate or degree. Most schools will require some attendance on campus to take part in practical training. Some also sponsor internship or work-study programs in addition to or in place of practical lab work. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, this approach may be a more accessible solution for some Irvine KY students that are pressed for time. And some online degree programs are cheaper than other traditional choices. Even driving expenses from Irvine 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 obligations have left you with minimal time to attend classes, maybe an HVAC online training program will make it easier to accommodate school into your hectic lifestyle.

Questions to Ask HVAC Schools

Questions to ask Irvine KY HVAC training schools As soon as you have chosen the type of degree or certificate that you would like to obtain, 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 vocational schools in the Irvine KY area and all over the USA to select from. That’s why it is imperative to have a list of key qualifiers when making school assessments. As earlier stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will probably be the initial 2 factors you will consider. Following are several additional ones that you will want to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC technical schools in the Irvine KY 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 pertains to an individual program, such as HVAC technology. Confirm that the program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive an excellent education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states mandate that the HVAC training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the HVAC schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It might also mean that the instructors 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 more extensive directory of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to employ 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 field, but additionally that it has the network of Irvine KY HVAC employers to help students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous HVAC technical 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 HVAC companies or labor unions. Check if the schools you are considering have working relationships with local Irvine KY HVAC companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the HVAC specialist you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Irvine KY HVAC contractor if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Irvine KY home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to some of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Irvine KY, check that the programs you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, 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 because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Irvine KY?

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

Irvine, Kentucky

Irvine (locally /ˈɜːrvən, ˈɜːrvaɪn/) is a home rule-class city[2] in Estill County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county.[3] Its population was 2,715 at the time of the 2010 census.[4] It is located on the Kentucky River at the junction of Kentucky Route 52 and Kentucky Route 89.

Irvine is located in the center of Estill County at 37°41′49″N 83°58′1″W / 37.69694°N 83.96694°W / 37.69694; -83.96694 (37.696835, -83.966895).[5] The city limits are on the northeast side of the Kentucky River, and the city is bordered by Ravenna to the southeast. According to the United States Census Bureau, Irvine has a total area of 1.49 square miles (3.85 km2), of which 1.41 square miles (3.65 km2) is land and 0.077 square miles (0.20 km2), or 5.13%, is water.[4]

Kentucky Route 89 passes through Irvine as Main Street; Route 52 enters from the east as River Drive, then joins Route 89 to cross the Kentucky River. Route 89 leads north 27 miles (43 km) to Winchester and south 28 miles (45 km) to McKee, while Route 52 leads southeast 26 miles (42 km) to Beattyville and west 19 miles (31 km) to Richmond.

Enrolling in the right HVAC school course is a critical 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 Heating and Air Training. However, as we have addressed in this article, you need to choose an Heating and Cooling school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC community. Other things to search for are sufficient practical training and modern facilities. You need to visit each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to explore the campus and talk with both the current students and faculty. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the teaching and the interaction between them. Also, inquire about scheduling options and whether or not night or weekend classes are available if needed. And remember to inquire about financial assistance and student loan options too. If you ask the appropriate questions as we have laid out in our checklist for comparing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make an educated decision. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC professional in Irvine KY.