HVAC Class Chester MA

How to Enroll In the Right HVAC Certificate Program near Chester Massachusetts

air conditioner condensers in Chester MA Once you have made a decision on a career as a heating and cooling technician, the next action is to look for an HVAC trade school near Chester MA. But with so many to pick from, how do you select the best one to receive the training that you require? A number of potential students will make their decision based entirely on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their home. Although these are significant considerations, they are not the only ones to take into account. Some of the other details that you need to research are the graduation completion rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. Those and additional benchmarks will be covered in more detail later in this article. But before we tackle how to select an HVAC training program, let’s take a look at what a heating and cooling contractor does to become a licensed skilled tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Specialist

Chester MA HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is commonly used in the trade that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC technicians provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are typically required to be licensed, however each state and local municipality has its own criteria. Obtaining professional certification is not compulsory, but a voluntary means for Chester MA HVAC technicians to establish that they are exceptionally skilled and accomplished in their area of expertise. There are multiple recognized certifications within the trade that are available. Here are a few of the important ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally recognized certification for HVAC techs. The certification is attained by passing a proficiency exam and can 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 in addition to passing a comprehensive examination are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have 3 years of experience together with a passing score on the professional level exam. Similar to NATE, certifications are offered in several specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is mandatory for techs that handle refrigerants. There are three types of certification available, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Considering that licensing may be mandated in your area, and you may also wish to earn certification, it’s imperative that you pick an HVAC technical school that will train you for both. And since you will more than likely be dealing with refrigerants, make sure that the program you decide on readies you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree and Certificate Schools

radiator heater in Chester MA home There are a number of options offered for HVAC instruction 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 lesser period of time, typically completed in just six months, although some programs are longer. A certificate will train you for the majority of HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree training programs might provide a competitive edge for securing employment and will furnish more comprehensive training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief summary of each credential offered near Chester MA.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among beginning residential or commercial HVAC professionals. They furnish a solid foundation of skills for employment within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more comprehensive knowledge of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Normally taking two years to finish, a number of degrees incorporate an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is tailored more for a career in management or even business ownership. Some programs call for an Associate Degree, while others are a traditional four 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 right credential program will be dependent on what your future career goals are, along with the time and financial resources that you have to commit. One approach is to begin with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after gaining some experience in the field in Chester MA, subsequently returning to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, make sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Classes Online

Chester MA student attending HVAC school online Choosing an HVAC program online is one possibility in attaining your education and receiving a certificate or degree. Most schools will require some attendance on campus to take part in practical training. Many also offer 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 accessible solution for some Chester MA students that are pressed for time. And a number of online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus alternatives. Even driving expenses from Chester and study supplies may be reduced, helping to make schooling more budget-friendly. And a large number of online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your career or family commitments have left you with little time to attend classes, maybe an HVAC online training program will make it easier to fit school into your hectic schedule.

Questions to Ask HVAC Training Programs

Questions to ask Chester MA HVAC training schools After you have chosen the type of certificate or degree that you desire to obtain, either on campus or online, you can start to decrease your list of schools. As you are probably aware, there are many HVAC trade schools in the Chester MA area and all over the Country to pick from. That’s why it is extremely important to have a checklist of important qualifications when making school comparisons. As previously stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will undoubtedly be the first 2 aspects you will consider. Following are several additional ones that you need to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC vocational programs in the Chester MA 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 pertains to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Confirm that the school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you receive a quality education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited programs. Also, some 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 signify that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also signify that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also essential that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may mean more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Chester MA HVAC employers to help grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of HVAC trade programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of HVAC businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with local Chester MA HVAC professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC specialist you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Chester MA HVAC company if they can give you some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are able to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Chester MA home. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive 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 observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between teachers and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to a few of the teachers 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 handle your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Chester MA, confirm that the programs you are looking at offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Additionally, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering an HVAC School near Chester MA?

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

Chester, Massachusetts

Chester is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, situated in the western part of the state. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area. The town includes the Chester Factory Village Historic District. The total population was 1,337 in the 2010 census.[1]

The area opened for settlement in the 1750s as Township No. 9, chartered as Murrayfield on October 31, 1765. The town was incorporated as Chester on February 21, 1783. The Western Railroad (later Boston & Albany Railroad) opened to Chester on May 24, 1841.[2]

Set on the eastern edge of the Berkshires, Chester makes up the northwest corner of Hampden County. It is bordered by Huntington on the east, Worthington and Middlefield on the north, Becket on the west, and Blandford on the south. Chester is 21 miles (34 km) southeast of Pittsfield, 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Springfield, 115 miles (185 km) west of Boston, 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Albany, New York, and 150 miles (240 km) northeast of New York City.

Picking the ideal HVAC school course is an important beginning toward a rewarding career in the heating and air conditioning field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Class. However, as we have discussed in this article, you need to select an Heating and Cooling trade school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC profession. Other things to search for are plenty of practical training and modern facilities. You need to go to each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and speak with both the current students and faculty. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the teaching and the interaction between them. Additionally, ask about scheduling choices and whether or not night or weekend classes are available if needed. And remember to ask about financial aid and student loan options as well. If you ask the right questions as we have laid out in our guidelines for comparing 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 ultimately become a licensed HVAC technician in Chester MA.