Heating and Air Conditioning School Massapequa NY

How to Select the Right Heating and Cooling Certificate Program near Massapequa New York

air conditioner condensers in Massapequa NY Once you have made a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioning professional, the next step is to find an HVAC trade school near Massapequa NY. But with so many to select from, how do you pick the right one to get the training that you require? Many prospective students will make their selection based entirely on the price of tuition or how near the school is to their home. While these are significant concerns, they are not the only ones to evaluate. A few of the other things 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. These and additional 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 a/c specialist does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Specialist

Massapequa NY HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is extensively used in the business that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC contractors specialize in the installation, maintenance and repair of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are commonly required to be licensed, although each state and regional municipality has its own criteria. Obtaining professional certification is not required, but a voluntary means for Massapequa NY HVAC techs to establish that they are exceptionally qualified and knowledgeable in their area of specialization. There are multiple respected certifications within the industry that are offered. Below are some 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 may be earned in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification makes available both a professional and a master specialist credential. Two years of professional experience as well as passing a comprehensive examination are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have 3 years of experience in addition to a passing score on the professional level exam. Similar to NATE, certifications are offered in various specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for technicians that work with refrigerants. There are 3 forms of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

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

HVAC Degree and Certificate Courses

radiator heater in Massapequa NY home There are a variety of options offered for HVAC training in a technical or vocational school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the minimum amount of time, often accomplished in as little as six months, however some courses are longer. A certificate will qualify you for most HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree programs may provide a competitive advantage for securing employment and will provide more comprehensive training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief summary of each option offered near Massapequa NY.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level commercial or residential HVAC specialists. They provide a solid foundation of skills for job opportunities within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more extensive understanding of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Typically requiring 2 years to finish, some degrees feature 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 traditional four year program. In addition to being taught how to service and maintain heating and cooling systems, you will also study how to design them.

Choosing the ideal credential program will be based on what your future career aspirations are, as well as 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 acquiring some experience in the trade in Massapequa NY, later returning to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, make sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Courses

Massapequa NY student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC school online is one approach in obtaining your training and receiving a degree or certificate. Most schools will require some attendance on campus to take part in hands on training. Some also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the balance of the classes may be participated in on the web, this alternative may be a more convenient solution for many Massapequa NY students that are pressed for time. And a number of online degree programs are more economical than other on campus options. Even travelling expenses from Massapequa and study supplies can be minimized, helping to make schooling more economical. And numerous online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your work or family commitments have left you with minimal time to attend classes, perhaps 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 Massapequa NY HVAC training schools After you have decided on the type of degree or certificate that you desire to attain, either online or on campus, you can start to limit your list of schools. As you are probably aware, there are a large number of HVAC trade schools in the Massapequa NY area and throughout the USA to pick from. That’s why it is imperative to have a list of relevant qualifiers when making school assessments. As previously stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will probably be the first 2 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 technical programs in the Massapequa NY 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, such as HVAC technology. Confirm 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 ensure that you obtain a quality education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the HVAC training program be accredited for it to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Air Conditioning schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate could signify that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It could also suggest that the instructors 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 can produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Massapequa NY HVAC employers to help students secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous HVAC training programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of Heating and Cooling companies or trade unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have referring partnerships with local Massapequa NY HVAC contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing practical training, but it also furnishes 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 instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the HVAC specialist you are working under concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Massapequa NY HVAC contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Massapequa NY residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much individualized 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 witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to some of the students and get their feedback relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the teachers and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Massapequa NY, confirm that the programs you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, find 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 Massapequa NY?

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

Massapequa, New York

Massapequa (/mæsəˈpiːkwə/, mass-ə-PEEK-wə) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the southern part of the Town of Oyster Bay in southeastern Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, east of New York City. It is adjacent to Amityville in Suffolk County. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 21,685. It is serviced by the Massapequa Station on the Long Island Rail Road.

A 19th-century writer identified Massapequa as one of the "13 tribes of Long Island," but additional research has shown that they were a band of Lenape, the Algonquian-speaking people who occupied the western part of the island at the time of European encounter. The bands were identified by names of the geographic areas they occupied.

The Native Americans to the east spoke a different Algonquian language and were related to the Pequot people of Connecticut and southern New England, another in the large Algonquian languages family of tribes in coastal areas along the Atlantic Ocean. Major bands of Pequot in eastern Long Island were the Montaukett and Shinnecock. Today the Shinnecock Indian Nation has gained federal recognition and has a reservation on the South Shore of Long Island.

Heating and Air Conditioning School Massapequa NY

Selecting the ideal HVAC training program is a crucial first step toward a fulfilling career in the heating and cooling trade. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Heating and Air Conditioning School. However, as we have discussed in this post, you need to choose an Heating and Cooling trade school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC community. Other things to look for are sufficient practical training and modern facilities. You need to check out each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and talk with both the faculty and current students. Try to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. Also, ask about scheduling choices and whether or not night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And remember to ask about financial assistance and student loan options also. If you ask the right questions as we have outlined in our checklist for assessing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your options so that you can make an educated decision. With the appropriate training, hard work and commitment, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC technician in Massapequa NY.