How to Choose HVAC Certificate Programs Bowling Green MO

How to Choose the Right HVAC Certification Training near Bowling Green Missouri

air conditioner condensers in Bowling Green MO Once you have made a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioning technician, the next action is to choose an HVAC technical school near Bowling Green MO. But with so many to select from, how do you select the best one to obtain the training that you require? Many potential students will make their selection based solely on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their home. While these are relevant concerns, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Some of the other things that you need to investigate are the graduation rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. Those and other benchmarks will be covered in more detail later within this article. But before we explore how to pick an HVAC technical school, let’s take a look at what a heating and cooling specialist does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Technician

Bowling Green MO 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 professionals provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are generally mandated to be licensed, however each state and local municipality has its own prerequisites. Obtaining professional certification is not compulsory, but an optional means for Bowling Green MO HVAC techs to establish that they are highly proficient and accomplished in their area of expertise. There are a number of acknowledged certifications within the field that are available. Here are some of the important ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is attained by passing a competency examination and can 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 required for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have 3 years of experience together with a passing score on the professional level examination. 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 obtainable, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing could be required in your location, and you may also wish to earn certification, it’s imperative that you enroll in an HVAC technical school that will train you for both. And since you will most likely be working with refrigerants, make certain that the school you select prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Degree Classes

radiator heater in Bowling Green MO home There are a number of alternatives offered for HVAC instruction in a vocational or trade school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Obtaining a certificate will take the least amount of time, typically accomplished in just 6 months, though some courses are longer. A certificate will qualify you for most HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree programs can provide a competitive edge in the job market and will furnish more extensive training than the certificate programs. Below is a short summary of each option offered near Bowling Green MO.

Certificate. Normally 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 industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more extensive background of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Typically 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 require an Associate Degree, while others are a conventional four year program. In addition to learning how to service and maintain heating and cooling systems, you will also study how to design them.

Choosing the appropriate credential program will be dependent on what your future career objectives are, in addition to 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 gaining some experience in the field in Bowling Green MO, subsequently returning to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, make sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Training Online

Bowling Green MO student attending HVAC school online Attending an HVAC school online is one option in getting your training and earning a degree or certificate. Nearly all schools will require some attendance on campus to participate in hands on training. Many 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 participated in online, this option may be a more accessible solution for some Bowling Green MO students that are short on time. And a number of online degree programs are cheaper than other traditional choices. Even commuting expenses from Bowling Green 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 career or family obligations have left you with minimal time to attend classes, maybe an HVAC online training program will make it less complicated to accommodate school into your active lifestyle.

Questions For HVAC Certification Courses

Questions to ask Bowling Green MO HVAC training schools After you have chosen the type of certificate or degree that you would like to obtain, either on campus or online, you can begin to limit your list of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are many HVAC trade schools in the Bowling Green MO area and all over the Country to select from. That’s why it is essential to have a checklist of important qualifications when making school assessments. As earlier stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will most likely be the first two variables 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 schools in the Bowling Green MO area have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, for instance HVAC technology. Verify that the school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you get a quality education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, many states require that the HVAC training program be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Cooling schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate may suggest that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also signify that the teachers were not qualified to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which can mean more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only confirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Bowling Green MO HVAC employers to help graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous HVAC vocational programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of Heating and Cooling contractors or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have working relationships with local Bowling Green MO HVAC companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the regional HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are up-to-date and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the HVAC technician you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Bowling Green MO HVAC company if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your Bowling Green MO home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the teachers and learn what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Bowling Green MO, check that the programs you are considering offer those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Bowling Green MO?

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

Bowling Green, Missouri

Bowling Green is located at 39°20′30″N 91°12′0″W / 39.34167°N 91.20000°W / 39.34167; -91.20000 (39.341597, -91.200076).[11] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.70 square miles (6.99 km2), of which, 2.69 square miles (6.97 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.[12]

Bowling Green lies at the junction of US highways 54 and 61. US 54 links Bowling Green with Illinois to the east and Jefferson City and the Lake of the Ozarks to the south and west, while US 61 connects the city with Hannibal to the north and the St. Louis area to the south.

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 5,334 people, 1,316 households, and 810 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,982.9 inhabitants per square mile (765.6/km2). There were 1,474 housing units at an average density of 548.0 per square mile (211.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 79.4% White, 18.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.

How to Choose HVAC Certificate Programs Bowling Green MO

Selecting the ideal HVAC school course is a crucial beginning toward a rewarding career in the heating & cooling trade. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding How to Choose HVAC Certificate Programs. However, as we have addressed in this article, you should choose an HVAC technical school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC profession. Other factors to look for are plenty of practical training and modern facilities. You should check out each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to inspect 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, ask about scheduling choices and whether night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And remember to ask about financial aid and student loan options too. If you ask the right questions as we have laid out in our guidelines for evaluating schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your options so that you can make an informed decision. With the right training, hard work and dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC contractor in Bowling Green MO.