How to Choose HVAC Training Classes Hebron ME

How to Choose the Right Heating and Cooling Certification Training near Hebron Maine

air conditioner condensers in Hebron ME Once you have made a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioning technician, the next step is to find an HVAC vocational school near Hebron ME. But with so many to pick from, how do you select the ideal one to receive the training that you require? A number of future students will make their selection based entirely on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their residence. Even though these are important considerations, they are not the only ones to evaluate. 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 in this article. But before we discuss how to pick an HVAC technical school, let’s take a look at what a heating and cooling professional does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Tech

Hebron ME HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is extensively used in the business that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC techs provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are typically required to be licensed, although each state and regional municipality has its own requirements. Obtaining professional certification is not compulsory, but an alternative way for Hebron ME HVAC specialists to prove that they are exceptionally proficient and experienced in their area of specialization. There are several recognized certifications within the industry that are available. Below are a few of the significant ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is attained by passing a proficiency examination and can be received in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification offers both a professional and a master specialist credential. 2 years of field experience in addition to passing a comprehensive exam are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have 3 years of experience together with a passing result on the professional level examination. As with NATE, certifications are made available in several specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for specialists 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.

Since licensing could be required in your area, and you may also intend to acquire certification, it’s essential that you enroll in an HVAC trade school that will train you for both. And since you will most likely be dealing with refrigerants, make certain that the program you decide on readies you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Courses

radiator heater in Hebron ME home There are several choices available for HVAC training in a technical or vocational school. You can earn a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Obtaining a certificate will take the minimum period of time, usually achieved in as little as six months, although some programs are longer. A certificate will qualify you for most HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification relevant to the position. The degree programs might provide a competitive advantage in the job market and will deliver more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Following is a short explanation of each option offered near Hebron ME.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among beginning residential or commercial HVAC technicians. They furnish a solid foundation of skills for employment within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more detailed understanding of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Normally taking two years to finish, some degrees include an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is suited more towards a career in management as well as business ownership. Some programs call for an Associate Degree, while others are a conventional 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 appropriate credential program will be based on what your long term career goals are, together with the time and money that you have to commit. One option is to start with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the trade in Hebron ME, later returning to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, be sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Classes

Hebron ME student attending HVAC school online Attending an HVAC school online is one option in getting your education and earning a certificate or degree. Most schools will call for some attendance on campus to complete hands on training. Many also sponsor internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes can be participated in online, this approach may be a more convenient solution for some Hebron ME students that are pressed for time. And some online degree programs are less expensive than other on campus alternatives. Even commuting expenses from Hebron and study supplies may be minimized, helping to make schooling 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, perhaps an HVAC online training program will make it easier to accommodate school into your active lifestyle.

What to Ask HVAC Trade Schools

Questions to ask Hebron ME HVAC training schools As soon as you have picked the type of degree or certificate that you want to earn, either on campus or online, you can start to decrease your list of schools. As you are probably aware, there are numerous HVAC trade schools in the Hebron ME area and across the Country to select from. That’s why it is extremely important to have a list of important qualifiers when making school comparisons. As formerly stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will most likely be the first two factors you will consider. Following are several additional ones that you should explore before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC technical schools in the Hebron ME area have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for example HVAC technology. Make certain that the school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you receive a quality education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states require 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 portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It might also suggest that the instructors were not competent to instruct 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 can mean more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Hebron ME HVAC employers to help grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC technical programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of HVAC contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with local Hebron ME HVAC contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the HVAC tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Hebron ME HVAC contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Hebron ME home. Remember 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 instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to several of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees 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 go to classes at night or on weekends near Hebron ME, check that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Hebron ME?

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

Hebron, Maine

Hebron is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Hebron is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The town's history has always been interconnected with Hebron Academy, a co-ed college preparatory boarding school which is located in the town's heart. The population was 1,416 at the 2010 census. There is an elementary school, Hebron Station School, located on Station Road.

It was granted on March 8, 1777 by the Massachusetts General Court to Alexander Shepard, Jr. of Newton, Massachusetts as payment for a survey chart of the Maine coast that he had assisted making. It was named Shepardsfield Plantation, although early inhabitants called it Bog Brook Plantation. There was a farm settled in 1764 on what is now Sodom Road in Hebron before the Revolution and the grant to Alexander Shepard Jr.[4] The first settlers of Shepardsfield Plantation were Captain Daniel Buckman and his family in 1778. Others followed, many fresh from the battlefields of the Revolutionary War. On February 27, 1829, Hebron's southwestern half was set off and incorporated as the town of Oxford.[5]

Agriculture was the principal occupation, with hay the chief crop. In addition, the town had fine orchards. The outlet of Marshall Pond, the largest body of water, provided power for mills. There was a sawmill, shingle mill, pail factory, blacksmith shop and shoe shop. In 1804, Deacon William Barrows, Jr. was instrumental in founding Hebron Academy. The town would be crossed by the Rumford Falls and Buckfield Railroad.[6] The Western Maine Sanatorium opened at Hebron in 1904, the first of its kind in the state. It treated tuberculosis patients with rest, fresh air and a healthy diet. Taken over by the state in 1915, it closed in 1959.

How to Choose HVAC Training Classes Hebron ME

Picking the ideal HVAC school program is an important beginning toward a fulfilling career in the heating and cooling industry. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding How to Choose HVAC Training Classes. However, as we have addressed in this article, you need to choose an Heating and Cooling technical school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC profession. Other things to search for are lots of hands-on training and modern facilities. You need to check out each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to explore the campus and speak with both the current students and faculty. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the instruction 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 appropriate questions as we have detailed in our checklist for evaluating schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your options so that you can make an educated decision. With the right training, hard work and commitment, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC professional in Hebron ME.