HVAC Training Courses Mexico ME

How to Select the Right Heating and Cooling Certification Class near Mexico Maine

air conditioner condensers in Mexico ME Once you have made a decision on a career as a heating and cooling professional, the next step is to find an HVAC technical school near Mexico ME. But with so many to choose from, how do you select the best one to obtain the training that you need? A number of prospective students will make their decision based solely on the price of tuition or how near the school is to their residence. Although these are necessary factors to consider, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Some of the other details 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 additional criteria will be covered in more detail later within this article. But before we examine how to choose an HVAC trade school, let’s take a look at what a heating and a/c technician does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Contractor

Mexico ME HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is widely used in the business that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC techs provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are commonly mandated to be licensed, though each state and local municipality has its own prerequisites. Acquiring professional certification is not required, but an alternative way for Mexico ME HVAC techs to establish that they are highly skilled and experienced in their area of expertise. There are several acknowledged certifications within the field that are available. Following are a few of the significant ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is earned by passing a proficiency exam and may be received in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification offers both a professional and a master specialist credential. Two years of field experience together with passing a comprehensive exam are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have 3 years of experience along with a passing score on the professional level examination. As with NATE, certifications are offered in several specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is mandatory for technicians that handle refrigerants. There are 3 forms of certification obtainable, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Since licensing might be mandated in your location, and you may also wish to earn certification, it’s essential that you choose an HVAC vocational school that will train you for both. And since you will probably be handling refrigerants, make sure that the school you select readies you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree and Certificate Training Programs

radiator heater in Mexico ME home There are a variety of choices available for HVAC training in a technical or vocational school. You can earn a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the least amount of time, typically accomplished in just six months, though some courses are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification relevant to the position. The degree programs may provide a competitive advantage for securing employment and will deliver more comprehensive training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief description of each credential offered near Mexico ME.

Certificate. Normally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level commercial or residential HVAC professionals. They furnish a solid foundation of skills for employment within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more extensive understanding of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Normally taking 2 years to complete, some degrees feature an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is suited more for a career in management or even 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 appropriate credential program will be dependent on what your long term career objectives are, along with the time and financial resources that you have to commit. One option is to begin with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after acquiring some experience in the field in Mexico ME, later returning to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, make certain to ask the HVAC tech school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Training Online

Mexico ME student attending HVAC school online Choosing an HVAC school online is one approach to obtaining your training and receiving a degree or certificate. Most schools will require some attendance on campus to participate 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 remainder of the classes can be attended on the web, this option may be a more practical solution for some Mexico ME students that are pressed for time. And some online degree programs are less costly than other on campus options. Even commuting expenses from Mexico and study supplies may be lessened, helping to make education more affordable. And many online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family commitments have left you with minimal time to attend classes, maybe an online HVAC degree program will make it more convenient to accommodate school into your busy lifestyle.

Questions For HVAC Certification Classes

Questions to ask Mexico ME HVAC training schools Once you have selected the type of certificate or degree that you would like to acquire, either online or on campus, you can start to decrease your selection of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous HVAC vocational schools in the Mexico ME area and all over the United States to select from. That’s why it is imperative to have a list of important qualifications when making school assessments. As previously stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will most likely be the initial two aspects you will look at. Following are several additional ones that you will want to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Numerous HVAC technical schools in the Mexico ME area have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for example HVAC technology. Verify that the program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you obtain a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Also, many states require that the HVAC training program be accredited for it 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 percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It could also indicate that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of alumni, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ 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 trade, but also that it has the network of Mexico ME HVAC employers to assist graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of HVAC technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of HVAC contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring partnerships with local Mexico ME HVAC contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC specialist you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Mexico ME HVAC contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Mexico ME home. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between teachers and students. Talk with a few of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Mexico ME, confirm that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering an HVAC School near Mexico ME?

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

Mexico, Maine

The land was once part of Holmanstown Plantation, granted by the Massachusetts General Court in 1789 to Colonel Jonathan Holman of Sutton, Massachusetts (now Millbury) and others. In 1803, Dixfield was set off and incorporated. The plantation's remaining portion, which had been first settled by Isaac Gleason, was incorporated on February 13, 1818 as the town of Mexico.[4] The name was inspired by local sympathy for Mexico's 1810–1821 fight for independence from Spain.[5] Then known as Mexico Corner, it developed as a farming community with mills at the streams.[6] In 1894, George W. Ridlon, president of the Rumford Falls Brick Company, founded a settlement in the eastern part of the town called Ridlonville. He erected 30 cottages and The Hotel Ridlon.[5]

Mexico is located on several hills overlooking the Androscoggin River. Across the river is the town of Rumford, which has a large paper mill. The Swift River empties into the Androscoggin at Mexico's southwest corner, its historic business center positioned in the 19th century near the source of water power. While the large Androscoggin forms Mexico's southern boundary with Rumford, the smaller Swift River more or less follows its western boundary with that town. Mexico's downtown is located on land formed by the northeast corner of the right-angle junction of the two rivers. These low-lying riverbanks in Mexico have flooded many times, including 1936, 1953 and 1987.[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 23.57 square miles (61.05 km2), of which, 23.34 square miles (60.45 km2) of it is land and 0.23 square miles (0.60 km2) is water.[1] Mexico is drained by the Swift River and the Androscoggin River, which separates it from Rumford Falls.

Choosing the right HVAC training course is a crucial first step toward a fulfilling career in the heating & cooling trade. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Training Courses. However, as we have discussed in this post, you should pick an HVAC vocational school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC community. Other features to search for are lots of hands-on 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 current students and faculty. Try to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. Additionally, inquire about scheduling choices and whether night or weekend classes are available if needed. And don’t forget to ask about financial assistance and student loan options also. If you ask the proper 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 educated decision. With the right training, hard work and commitment, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC professional in Mexico ME.