Heating and Air Conditioning Trade Schools Pittsburg MO

How to Choose the Right Heating and Cooling School near Pittsburg Missouri

air conditioner condensers in Pittsburg MO Once you have decided on a career as a heating and air conditioning professional, the next step is to find an HVAC vocational school near Pittsburg MO. But with so many to select from, how do you decide on the right one to get the training that you need? Some potential students will make their selection based exclusively on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their residence. Even though these are necessary considerations, they are not the only ones to investigate. Just some of the other factors that you need to look into are the graduation completion rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. These and additional benchmarks will be addressed in more detail later in this article. But before we explore how to choose an HVAC vocational school, let’s take a look at what a heating and air conditioning technician does to become a licensed skilled tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Contractor

Pittsburg MO HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is frequently used in the trade that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC contractors specialize in the installation, repair and maintenance of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are commonly mandated to be licensed, however every state and regional municipality has its own requirements. Attaining professional certification is not mandatory, but a voluntary means for Pittsburg MO HVAC techs to prove that they are highly skilled and accomplished in their area of specialization. There are multiple recognized certifications within the industry that are available. Below are some 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 competency examination 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 professional experience in addition to passing a comprehensive exam are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have 3 years of experience along with a passing result on the professional level exam. As with NATE, certifications are offered in various specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is mandatory for technicians that work with refrigerants. There are 3 forms of certification obtainable, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing might be mandated in your area, and you may also desire to acquire certification, it’s imperative that you pick an HVAC vocational school that will prepare you for both. And since you will probably be handling refrigerants, make certain that the program you select prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree and Certificate Classes

radiator heater in Pittsburg MO home There are a number of choices offered for HVAC training in a vocational or trade school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Acquiring a certificate will take the least period of time, usually accomplished in as little as 6 months, though some courses are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree training programs may provide a competitive advantage in the job market and will provide more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Below is a short explanation of each option offered near Pittsburg MO.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among beginning residential or commercial HVAC specialists. They furnish a strong foundation of skills for employment within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program supplies a more comprehensive background of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Usually requiring 2 years to finish, many degrees incorporate 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 call for an Associate Degree, while others are a standard 4 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 right credential program will be dependent on what your long term career goals are, along with the time and money that you have to invest. One possibility is to start with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the trade in Pittsburg MO, subsequently going back to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, make sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Schools Online

Pittsburg MO student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC program online is one approach to attaining your education and receiving a certificate or degree. Nearly all schools will call for some attendance on campus to complete hands on training. Some also offer 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 accessible solution for some Pittsburg MO students that are pressed for time. And a number of online degree programs are less costly than other on campus choices. Even commuting expenses from Pittsburg and study supplies may be reduced, helping to make education more budget-friendly. And numerous 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, perhaps an online HVAC degree program will make it less complicated to accommodate school into your hectic lifestyle.

Questions For HVAC Certification Classes

Questions to ask Pittsburg MO HVAC training schools After you have selected the type of certificate or degree that you wish to obtain, either online or on campus, you can begin to narrow down your selection of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous HVAC vocational schools in the Pittsburg MO area and across the United States to choose from. That’s why it is extremely important to have a checklist of relevant qualifiers when making school assessments. As previously mentioned in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will undoubtedly be the initial two variables you will look at. Following are several additional ones that you need to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC trade schools in the Pittsburg 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 program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping ensure that you acquire an excellent education, it may assist in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, some states require that the HVAC training program be accredited in order to qualify 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 complete the program. A low completion rate could suggest that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It may also signify that the instructors were not competent to instruct the students. It’s also 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 employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but additionally that it has the network of Pittsburg MO HVAC employers to help grads secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC trade programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of Heating and Cooling businesses or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with local Pittsburg MO HVAC companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying hands-on training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to establish relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are already in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Pittsburg MO HVAC contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Pittsburg MO residence. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk with several of the students and get their feedback concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the programs you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Pittsburg MO, verify that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family issues.

Considering an HVAC School near Pittsburg MO?

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

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university with approximately 7,479 students (6,000 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students) located in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal. Almost 89% of the students are Americans. Pitt State also has a 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio. It is a member of the Kansas Board of Regents. Currently, it has an endowment of around $74,000,000. The student newspaper of Pittsburg State University is the Collegio.

Pittsburg State University was founded in 1903 as the Auxiliary Manual Training Normal School, originally a branch of the State Normal School of Emporia (now Emporia State University). In 1913, it became a full-fledged four-year institution as Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg, or Pittsburg State for short. Over the next four decades, its mission was broadened beyond teacher training. To reflect this, in 1959 its name was changed again to Kansas State College of Pittsburg. It became Pittsburg State University on April 21, 1977.[6]

Located in southeast Kansas, the 223-acre (0.90 km2) campus[8] is also the home of the $30 million Kansas Technology Center, a state-of-the-art technology program in the largest academic building in Kansas.[9]

Heating and Air Conditioning Trade Schools Pittsburg MO

Enrolling in the ideal HVAC training program is an important first step toward a rewarding career in the heating and cooling trade. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Heating and Air Conditioning Trade Schools. However, as we have covered in this article, you need to select an HVAC school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC trade. Other factors to look for are lots of practical 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 talk with both the current students and faculty. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. Also, ask about scheduling options and if evening or weekend classes are available if needed. And don’t forget to ask about financial assistance and student loan options too. If you ask the appropriate questions as we have laid out in our checklist for evaluating schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make an educated decision. With the right training, hard work and commitment, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC contractor in Pittsburg MO.