HVAC Tech School Glen Arbor MI

How to Find the Right HVAC Training Program near Glen Arbor Michigan

air conditioner condensers in Glen Arbor MI Once you have decided on a career as a heating and air conditioner technician, the next step is to choose an HVAC vocational school near Glen Arbor MI. But with so many to pick from, how do you decide on the best one to get the training that you need? Many prospective students will make their selection based exclusively on the cost of tuition or how near the school is to their home. While these are important concerns, they are not the only ones to investigate. 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 additional benchmarks will be covered in more detail later within this article. But before we tackle how to choose an HVAC vocational school, let’s take a look at what a heating and a/c technician does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Pro

Glen Arbor MI HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is commonly used in the business that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC contractors 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 commonly required to be licensed, though each state and local municipality has its own requirements. Acquiring professional certification is not mandatory, but an optional way for Glen Arbor MI HVAC techs to prove that they are exceptionally skilled and knowledgeable in their area of specialization. There are multiple respected certifications within the trade that are offered. Following are some 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 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 together with passing a comprehensive exam are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have 3 years of experience in addition to a passing result on the professional level exam. Similar to NATE, certifications are provided in multiple specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for specialists that work with refrigerants. There are 3 forms of certification available, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing may be required in your area, and you may also desire to obtain certification, it’s essential that you select an HVAC technical school that will prepare you for both. And since you will probably be working with refrigerants, make sure that the program you select prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree Classes

radiator heater in Glen Arbor MI home There are several options available for HVAC instruction in a technical or vocational school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Acquiring a certificate will take the minimum amount of time, often achieved in as little as 6 months, though some programs are longer. A certificate will qualify 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 advantage for securing employment and will provide more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a short description of each option offered near Glen Arbor MI.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level residential or commercial HVAC technicians. They furnish a solid foundation of skills for job opportunities within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more extensive background of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Normally taking 2 years to finish, a number of degrees feature 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 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.

Choosing the right credential program will be dependent on what your long term career goals are, as well as 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 Glen Arbor MI, subsequently returning to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, make certain to ask the HVAC tech school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Training

Glen Arbor MI student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC school online is one approach in getting your education and earning a certificate or degree. Nearly all schools will require some attendance on campus to take part in hands on training. Some also sponsor internship or work-study programs in addition to or in place of practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes can be attended on the web, this alternative may be a more accessible solution for some Glen Arbor MI students that are short on time. And many online degree programs are more economical than other traditional alternatives. Even commuting expenses from Glen Arbor and study supplies can be lessened, helping to make schooling more budget-friendly. And numerous online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your work or family commitments have left you with limited time to attend classes, maybe an HVAC online training program will make it more convenient to accommodate school into your active schedule.

Questions to Ask HVAC Training Classes

Questions to ask Glen Arbor MI HVAC training schools As soon as you have decided on the type of certificate or degree that you desire to obtain, either on campus or online, you can begin to limit your selection of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are a large number of HVAC trade schools in the Glen Arbor MI area and all over the United States to pick from. That’s why it is essential to have a checklist of relevant qualifiers when making school evaluations. As earlier mentioned in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will undoubtedly be the first two aspects you will take into consideration. Following are some additional ones that you should investigate before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. A large number of HVAC trade schools in the Glen Arbor MI area have attained 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 a specific program, such as HVAC technology. Make sure that the school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you acquire a superior education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Additionally, a number of states require that the HVAC training program be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Cooling schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. It may also suggest that the instructors were not qualified to train 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 mean 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 a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Glen Arbor MI HVAC employers to help grads acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC technical programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating technical and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of Heating and Cooling businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with local Glen Arbor MI HVAC professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC technician you are working under concerning what you should be looking for. If not, ask a local Glen Arbor MI HVAC contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Glen Arbor MI residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to several of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk to some of the teachers and find out what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Glen Arbor MI, check that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, find 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 Glen Arbor MI?

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

Glen Arbor Township, Michigan

Glen Arbor Township is a civil township of Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 859 at the 2010 census. However, the population of the town expands rapidly during the summer months as a result of it being a summer colony.

John LaRue moved from South Manitou Island to the area of the Sleeping Bear Bay that would eventually become the town in 1848. After establishing a trading post, subsequent settlers began to move to the area with one, Mrs. John E. Fisher, giving the town the name "Glen Arbor" in 1854. Other prominent settlers were John Dorsey, who set up a cooper shop, and C.C. McCarty, who built the Sleeping Bear Inn, originally as a residence for lumbermen. Additionally, George Ray built a dock in 1856 and became the settlement’s first postmaster and W. D. Burdick established a sawmill and grist mill nearby in 1864. In 1878, D. H. Day, a land developer and agent for the Northern Transportation Company, took interest in Glen Arbor. Day serves as the namesake for the historic barn that sits opposite of the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

The town's economy was largely based around the lumber industry in the mid 19th century. Wood became the first commodity of Leelanau County as it was used for constructing houses and for fueling the steamers that traversed the Great Lakes. The increase of maritime traffic and the constant threat of shipwrecks along the Manitou Strait led the U.S. Life-Saving Service to establish a small boat station at Sleeping Bear Point in 1901. In 1931, the U.S. Coast Guard moved the facility eastward to its present location near Glen Haven, then closed it in 1944. The station is now a maritime museum that is run by the National Park Service.[4]

Enrolling in the ideal HVAC training program is an important beginning toward a fulfilling career in the heating & cooling trade. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Tech School. However, as we have discussed in this article, you should choose an HVAC trade school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have exceptional reputations within the HVAC field. Other things to search for are sufficient hands-on training and modern facilities. You should visit each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to explore the campus and speak with both the faculty and current students. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the instruction and the interaction between them. Also, ask about scheduling choices and if night or weekend classes are available if needed. And remember to inquire about financial aid and student loan options also. If you ask the proper questions as we have outlined in our checklist for evaluating schools, you’ll be able to filter your options so that you can make an educated decision. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC contractor in Glen Arbor MI.