HVAC Schooling Online Bar Mills ME

How to Pick the Right HVAC College near Bar Mills Maine

air conditioner condensers in Bar Mills ME Once you have made a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioner specialist, the next step is to look for an HVAC technical school near Bar Mills ME. But with so many to choose from, how do you choose the right one to get the training that you require? Some potential students will make their selection based exclusively on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their residence. While these are important factors to consider, they are not the only ones to take into account. Just some of the other factors that you need to research are the graduation 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 in this article. But before we discuss how to select an HVAC vocational school, let’s take a look at what a heating and air conditioning contractor does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Pro

Bar Mills ME 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 contractors specialize in the installation, repair and maintenance of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are typically required to be licensed, though each state and local municipality has its own prerequisites. Acquiring professional certification is not required, but an optional means for Bar Mills ME HVAC specialists to prove that they are highly qualified and accomplished in their area of expertise. There are a number of respected certifications within the trade that are available. Below 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 exam and can be received 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 examination are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have three years of experience along with a passing result on the professional level exam. As with NATE, certifications are provided in various specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for specialists that work with refrigerants. There are three types of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Since licensing may be mandated in your area, and you may also intend to obtain certification, it’s important that you choose an HVAC vocational school that will train you for both. And since you will more than likely be dealing with refrigerants, make certain that the school you pick preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree Courses

radiator heater in Bar Mills ME home There are several options available for HVAC training in a trade or technical school. You can attain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Acquiring a certificate will take the least period of time, often achieved in just 6 months, however some programs are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree training programs may provide a competitive edge for securing employment and will furnish more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Following is a brief summary of each option offered near Bar Mills ME.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level residential or commercial HVAC technicians. They furnish a strong foundation of skills for employment within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program supplies a more detailed background of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Generally requiring 2 years to finish, some 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 call for an Associate Degree, while others are a standard 4 year program. In addition to being taught 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 based on what your long term career objectives are, as well as the time and money that you have to commit. One approach is to start with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the field in Bar Mills ME, subsequently returning to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, be sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Training Online

Bar Mills ME student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC program online is one approach to getting your education and receiving a degree or certificate. Most schools will call for some attendance on campus to complete hands on training. Some also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or in place of practical lab work. But since the balance of the classes may be attended on the web, this approach may be a more convenient solution for some Bar Mills ME students that are pressed for time. And many online degree programs are more economical than other on campus options. Even travelling expenses from Bar Mills and study supplies may be reduced, helping to make schooling more budget-friendly. 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 minimal time to attend classes, perhaps an online HVAC degree program will make it more convenient to fit school into your hectic schedule.

What to Ask HVAC Training Programs

Questions to ask Bar Mills ME HVAC training schools As soon as you have chosen the type of certificate or degree that you want to obtain, either online or on campus, you can start to decrease your selection of schools. As you are probably aware, there are many HVAC technical schools in the Bar Mills ME area and all over the United States to select from. That’s why it is very important to have a checklist of key qualifications when making school assessments. As previously stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will probably be the first two aspects you will look at. 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 Bar Mills ME area have earned 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, for instance HVAC technology. Confirm that the school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you get an excellent education, it may assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Additionally, many states require that the HVAC training course be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the HVAC schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were disappointed with the course and quit. It may also suggest that the teachers were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which may produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Bar Mills ME HVAC employers to assist graduates secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC technical programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of Heating and Cooling businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with local Bar Mills ME HVAC contractors. 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 certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC technician you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Bar Mills ME HVAC company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Bar Mills ME home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the programs you are assessing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Bar Mills ME, check that the programs you are looking at offer those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.

Considering an HVAC School near Bar Mills ME?

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

Janet Mills

A member of the Democratic Party, Mills was first elected Maine Attorney General by the Maine Legislature on January 6, 2009, succeeding G. Steven Rowe. Her second term began on January 3, 2013, after the term of Republican William Schneider. She is the first woman to hold the position of Attorney General of Maine. Prior to her election, she served in the Maine House of Representatives representing the towns of Farmington and Industry. She was nominated by her party for Governor of Maine in the 2018 gubernatorial election. She won the November general election, defeating Republican Shawn Moody and Independent Terry Hayes. Upon assuming office, she became the first female Governor of Maine.[1]

Mills was born in Farmington, Maine, the daughter of Katherine Louise (Coffin) and Sumner Peter Mills, Jr.[2] Her mother was a schoolteacher, and her father was a lawyer who served as U.S. Attorney for Maine in the 1950s.[3] Mills graduated from Farmington High School in 1965. As a teenager, she spent nearly a year bedridden in a full-body cast due to severe scoleosis, which was corrected surgically.[4]

She briefly attended Colby College before moving to San Francisco,[3] where she worked as a nursing assistant in a psychiatric hospital.[2] She later enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Boston, from which she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in 1970.[3] During her time at UMass, Mills traveled through Western Europe and became fluent in French.[5] In 1973 she began attendance at the University of Maine School of Law[3] and in 1974 she was a summer intern in Washington, D.C. for civil rights attorney Charles Morgan Jr. of the American Civil Liberties Union.[3] Mills graduated with a JD in 1976 and was admitted to the bar.[3]

Picking the ideal HVAC training program is a critical beginning toward a gratifying career in the heating and air conditioning trade. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Schooling Online. However, as we have covered in this post, you should choose an Heating and Cooling training program and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC community. Other factors to search for are plenty of hands-on training and modern facilities. You should check out each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and talk with both the faculty and current students. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. Additionally, ask about scheduling choices and if night or weekend classes are available 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 outlined in our checklist for assessing schools, you’ll be able to filter your choices so that you can make an educated decision. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC specialist in Bar Mills ME.