How to Choose HVAC Training Courses Shelter Island NY

How to Select the Right Heating and Cooling College near Shelter Island New York

air conditioner condensers in Shelter Island NY Once you have decided on a career as a heating and air conditioning professional, the next step is to find an HVAC technical school near Shelter Island NY. But with so many to select from, how do you choose the best one to receive the training that you require? Many potential students will make their choice based solely on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their home. While these are necessary factors to consider, they are not the only ones to investigate. Just some of the other things that you need to investigate are the graduation completion rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. Those and other benchmarks will be discussed in more detail later within this article. But before we explore how to choose an HVAC technical school, let’s look at what a heating and cooling specialist does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Contractor

Shelter Island NY 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 techs specialize in the installation, repair and maintenance of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are generally required to be licensed, although every state and regional municipality has its own criteria. Attaining professional certification is not compulsory, but an alternative means for Shelter Island NY HVAC techs to prove that they are highly skilled and knowledgeable in their area of expertise. There are several respected certifications within the trade 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 proficiency examination and may be earned in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification makes available both a professional and a master specialist credential. 2 years of field experience together with passing a comprehensive exam are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have three years of experience in addition to a passing score on the professional level examination. 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 offered, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing could be mandated in your area, and you may also wish to obtain certification, it’s imperative that you select an HVAC technical school that will prepare you for both. And since you will most likely be dealing with refrigerants, make sure that the program you select readies you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Training Programs

radiator heater in Shelter Island NY home There are a variety of alternatives available for HVAC instruction in a technical or vocational school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Obtaining a certificate will take the minimum period of time, usually accomplished in as little as 6 months, although some courses are longer. A certificate will train you for the majority of HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification appropriate to the position. The degree training programs can provide a competitive advantage for securing employment and will deliver more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a short description of each option offered near Shelter Island NY.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among beginning commercial or residential HVAC technicians. They provide a strong foundation of skills for employment within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program supplies a more detailed knowledge of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Normally requiring two years to finish, many degrees incorporate an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is tailored more towards a career in management or even business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a standard four year program. In addition to being taught how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also learn how to design them.

Selecting the appropriate credential program will be based on what your long term career objectives are, as well as the time and money that you have to invest. One option is to start with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the trade in Shelter Island NY, eventually returning to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your approach, be sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Schools Online

Shelter Island NY student attending HVAC school online Attending an HVAC program online is one approach in attaining your education and earning a certificate or degree. Nearly all schools will require some attendance on campus to participate in hands on training. Some also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or as an alternative to practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes can be participated in on the web, this approach may be a more convenient solution for some Shelter Island NY students that are short on time. And many online degree programs are less costly than other on campus alternatives. Even driving expenses from Shelter Island and study supplies can be lessened, helping to make education more economical. And many online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family commitments have left you with limited time to attend classes, maybe an online HVAC degree program will make it easier to accommodate school into your hectic schedule.

Questions to Ask HVAC Trade Schools

Questions to ask Shelter Island NY HVAC training schools When you have selected the type of degree or certificate that you desire to acquire, either online or on campus, you can start to limit your selection of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are many HVAC technical schools in the Shelter Island NY area and all over the USA to select from. That’s why it is extremely important to have a list of key qualifications when making school assessments. As formerly stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will undoubtedly be the initial 2 variables you will consider. Following are some additional ones that you need to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. A large number of HVAC vocational schools in the Shelter Island NY area have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs as a whole, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as HVAC technology. Verify that the school is 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 help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, some states mandate that the HVAC training course be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Air Conditioning schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and complete the program. A lower completion rate could signify that students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. It may also signify that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to use 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 industry, but also that it has the network of Shelter Island NY HVAC employers to assist students acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC vocational programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade programs 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 reviewing have referring partnerships with local Shelter Island NY HVAC contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by providing hands-on 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 trained on are up-to-date and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the HVAC specialist you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Shelter Island NY HVAC contracting company if they can provide some pointers. Also keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Shelter Island NY home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you receive as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and instructors. Talk to a few of the students and get their opinions regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm 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 Shelter Island NY, verify that the programs you are looking at provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering an HVAC School near Shelter Island NY?

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

Shelter Island, New York

Shelter Island is a town and island at the eastern end of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of Suffolk County, although it is separated from the rest of the county by water. The population was 2,392 at the 2010 census.

Shelter Island is nestled between the North and South Forks of Long Island. It is surrounded on three sides by Shelter Island Sound and on the fourth side by Gardiners Bay. It can be reached via ferry from Greenport to the north (approximately 8-minute trip) or from North Haven to the south (approximately 5-minute trip). New York State Route 114 runs through the island.

Shelter Island is around 8,000 acres (32 km2) in size. Vast tracts are protected wetlands, a nature preserve marshland. Nearly one-third of the island is owned by The Nature Conservancy to be preserved in a wild state. The Preserve has four nature and bird-watching trails, varying in length from 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to 11 miles (18 km), as well as a barrier-free Braille trail for the visually impaired.

How to Choose HVAC Training Courses Shelter Island NY

Selecting the right HVAC training course is a crucial first step toward a rewarding career in the heating & cooling field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding How to Choose HVAC Training Courses. However, as we have covered in this article, you need to select an Heating and Cooling training program and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC field. Other features to search for are ample practical training and state-of-the-art facilities. You need to visit each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to tour the campus and speak with both the faculty and current students. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the teaching and the interaction between them. Also, ask about scheduling options and whether night or weekend classes are available if needed. And remember to inquire about financial aid and student loan options also. If you ask the right questions as we have laid out in our checklist for assessing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your options so that you can make an informed decision. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC contractor in Shelter Island NY.