School Air Conditioning Valley Stream NY

How to Choose the Right Heating and Cooling Certification Class near Valley Stream New York

air conditioner condensers in Valley Stream NY Now that you have decided on a career as a heating and air conditioning technician, the next action is to look for an HVAC trade school near Valley Stream NY. But with so many to select from, how do you decide on the right one to get the training that you need? A number of potential students will make their choice based exclusively on the cost of tuition or how near the school is to their home. Although these are significant considerations, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Some of the other factors 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. These and additional criteria will be discussed in more detail later within this article. But before we tackle how to pick an HVAC training program, let’s take a look at what a heating and cooling professional does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Pro

Valley Stream NY HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is extensively used in the industry that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC technicians provide services for the installation, repair and maintenance of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are commonly required to be licensed, though every state and local municipality has its own requirements. Attaining professional certification is not compulsory, but a voluntary means for Valley Stream NY HVAC technicians to prove that they are exceptionally qualified and experienced in their area of specialization. There are multiple respected certifications within the field that are offered. Following are a few of the significant ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is achieved by passing a competency examination and can 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 in addition to passing a comprehensive examination are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have three years of experience along with a passing score on the professional level exam. As with NATE, certifications are provided in multiple specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for techs that handle refrigerants. There are three forms of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing may be mandated in your location, and you may also desire to obtain certification, it’s important that you select an HVAC technical school that will train you for both. And since you will most likely be handling refrigerants, make sure that the school you pick preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Degree Schools

radiator heater in Valley Stream NY home There are several choices available for HVAC instruction in a vocational or trade school. You can earn a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the lesser amount of time, typically accomplished in as little as six months, although some programs are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification related to the position. The degree programs may provide a competitive edge for securing employment and will provide more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a short description of each option offered near Valley Stream NY.

Certificate. Normally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among beginning commercial or residential HVAC technicians. They provide a solid foundation of skills for employment within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more extensive understanding of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Normally requiring two years to complete, some degrees feature 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 call for an Associate Degree, while others are a traditional 4 year program. In addition to mastering how to service and maintain heating and cooling systems, you will also learn how to design them.

Choosing the appropriate credential program will be dependent on what your long term career aspirations are, together with the time and financial resources that you have to invest. One option is to start with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after gaining some experience in the trade in Valley Stream NY, subsequently 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 Classes Online

Valley Stream NY student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC school online is one option in attaining your training and earning a certificate or degree. Nearly all schools will call for some attendance on campus to complete hands on training. Some also sponsor 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 via the internet, this option may be a more accessible solution for many Valley Stream NY students that are short on time. And many online degree programs are less costly than other on campus choices. Even travelling expenses from Valley Stream and study supplies may be minimized, helping to make education more affordable. And numerous online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family responsibilities have left you with little time to attend classes, perhaps an online HVAC degree program will make it less complicated to fit school into your active schedule.

Questions to Ask HVAC Training Programs

Questions to ask Valley Stream NY HVAC training schools When you have picked the type of certificate or degree that you wish to earn, either online or on campus, you can start to limit your list of schools. As you are probably aware, there are numerous HVAC trade schools in the Valley Stream NY area and all over the USA to pick from. That’s why it is imperative 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 initial two 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 technical programs in the Valley Stream NY area have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which pertains to a specific program, such as HVAC technology. Make certain that the school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for example the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you acquire an excellent education, it can help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the HVAC training course be accredited for it 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 might indicate that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It could also signify that the teachers were not qualified to train 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 list of alumni, which can result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the industry, but additionally that it has the network of Valley Stream NY HVAC employers to help students obtain apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of HVAC technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of Heating and Cooling businesses or labor unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with local Valley Stream NY HVAC professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also furnishes job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the school facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the HVAC specialist you are working with concerning what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Valley Stream NY HVAC contractor if they can give you some pointers. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Valley Stream NY residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there can be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and teachers. Talk with some of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Valley Stream NY, check that the programs you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, ask what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family issues.

Considering an HVAC School near Valley Stream NY?

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

Valley Stream, New York

The incorporated Village of Valley Stream is inside the southwest part of the town of Hempstead, along the border with Queens. The village is served by the Long Island Rail Road at the Valley Stream station, located at Sunrise Highway and Franklin Avenue. It is also served by the Gibson station at Gibson and Munro boulevards, but only along the Far Rockaway Branch.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), of which 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2), or 0.86%, is water.

In the year 1640, 14 years after the arrival of Dutch colonists in Manhattan (New Amsterdam), the area that is now Valley Stream was purchased by the Dutch West India Company from Rockaway Native Americans (they were a Lenape, or Delaware, band, known by the place where they lived).

Enrolling in the right HVAC training program is a crucial first step toward a fulfilling career in the heating and cooling industry. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding School Air Conditioning. However, as we have covered in this post, you should select an HVAC vocational school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC community. Other factors to search for are sufficient hands-on training and state-of-the-art facilities. You should go to each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and talk with both the current students and faculty. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the instruction and the interaction between them. Additionally, inquire about scheduling choices and if evening or weekend classes are offered if needed. And remember to inquire about financial aid and student loan options also. If you ask the right questions as we have outlined in our guidelines for evaluating 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 dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC specialist in Valley Stream NY.