Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Schools Victor NY

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

air conditioner condensers in Victor NY Now that you have decided on a career as a heating and air conditioner professional, the next step is to look for an HVAC technical school near Victor NY. But with so many to choose from, how do you decide on the ideal one to obtain the training that you need? A number of future students will make their choice based solely on the price of tuition or how close the school is to their home. Even though these are important considerations, they are not the only ones to investigate. Just some of the other things 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. Those and other criteria will be discussed in more detail later in this article. But before we examine how to pick an HVAC training program, let’s take a look at what a heating and air conditioning technician does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Tech

Victor NY HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is widely used in the industry that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC techs provide services for the installation, repair and maintenance of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are typically required to be licensed, although every state and regional municipality has its own criteria. Obtaining professional certification is not mandatory, but a voluntary means for Victor NY HVAC specialists to prove that they are exceptionally proficient and experienced in their area of specialization. There are a number of acknowledged certifications within the industry that are available. Following are some of the important ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is achieved 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 in addition to passing a comprehensive examination are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have 3 years of experience in addition to a passing score on the professional level exam. As with NATE, certifications are offered in various specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is necessary for specialists that handle refrigerants. There are three forms of certification available, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Since licensing may be mandated in your area, and you may also intend to earn certification, it’s imperative that you pick an HVAC trade school that will train you for both. And since you will probably be working with refrigerants, make certain that the school you choose readies you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Schools

radiator heater in Victor NY home There are a variety of options offered for HVAC training in a trade or technical school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the lesser amount of time, often achieved in as little as six months, although some programs are longer. A certificate will qualify you for the majority of HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification appropriate to the position. The degree programs can provide a competitive edge for securing employment and will deliver more comprehensive training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief summary of each credential offered near Victor NY.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among beginning residential or commercial HVAC technicians. They provide a strong foundation of skills for job opportunities within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more detailed knowledge of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Usually requiring two years to complete, a number of degrees feature an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is geared more for a career in management as well as 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 air conditioning systems, you will also learn how to design them.

Selecting the right credential program will be based on what your long term career goals are, together with the time and financial resources that you have to invest. One possibility is to begin with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the trade in Victor NY, eventually returning to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your approach, be sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Courses

Victor NY student attending HVAC school online Choosing an HVAC school online is one alternative in getting your education and earning a certificate or degree. Most 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 instead of practical lab work. But since the balance of the classes may be attended via the internet, this approach may be a more accessible solution for some Victor NY students that are short on time. And many online degree programs are less expensive than other traditional choices. Even commuting expenses from Victor and study materials can be reduced, helping to make education more economical. And a large number of online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your career or family obligations 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 Training Programs

Questions to ask Victor NY HVAC training schools Once you have decided on the type of degree or certificate that you wish to obtain, either online or on campus, you can begin to narrow down your list of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are many HVAC technical schools in the Victor NY area and across the USA to choose from. That’s why it is essential to have a checklist of key qualifications when making school assessments. As previously stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will undoubtedly be the first 2 factors you will take into consideration. Following are several additional ones that you should explore before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC trade programs in the Victor NY area have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They can acquire Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Verify that the program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive a quality education, it may assist in obtaining financial assistance 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 reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A lower completion rate may indicate that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It may also suggest that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have higher 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 use 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 industry, but also that it has the network of Victor NY HVAC employers to assist graduates obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC vocational programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of HVAC contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring partnerships with local Victor NY HVAC professionals. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the regional HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed on are up-to-date and what you will be using 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 expecting. If not, ask a local Victor NY HVAC contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school must be within driving distance of your Victor NY residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much one-on-one instruction as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how large they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to several of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you can only go to classes in the evening or on weekends near Victor NY, verify that the schools you are looking at provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make certain that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Additionally, find out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Victor NY?

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

Victor, New York

The Town of Victor contains a village, also called Victor. The town is in the northwest corner of Ontario County and is southeast of Rochester. Victor is part of the Greater Rochester area; Victor's location makes it a connection town between Monroe County, the home of more than two-thirds of the Greater Rochester population, and Ontario County. The Village of Victor is 12 miles from the head of Canandaigua Lake, the fourth largest of the Finger Lakes.

An important Seneca village, known as Gannagaro or Ganondagan, was located within the area of this town. The tribe abandoned the village and the area about it after being severely attacked in 1687 by French invaders from Canada. They were trying to control the lucrative fur trade.

In 2015, New York opened a museum and cultural center on the grounds of the Ganondagan State Historic Site, established in 1987. The Seneca Art & Culture Center at Ganondagan will use art, history and education, drawn from oral history, written documents, and archeological evidence, to tell the story of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) people, and specifically the Seneca nation. It is the only publicly funded state historic site devoted to the Haudenosaunee. It has both Haudenosaunee and Non-Native American staff and volunteers. It gives a prominent role to Jigonhsasee, the Iroquoian woman credited as one of the founders of the Confederacy.[3]

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Schools Victor NY

Enrolling in the ideal HVAC school course is a critical first step toward a fulfilling career in the heating and cooling field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Schools. However, as we have discussed in this article, you should pick an Heating and Cooling vocational school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC field. Other factors to look for are ample practical training and modern facilities. You need to go to each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to explore the campus and speak with both the faculty and current students. Try to get a feel for the quality of the teaching and the interaction between them. Also, ask about scheduling options and whether evening or weekend classes are available if needed. And don’t forget to ask about financial assistance and student loan options as well. If you ask the right questions as we have detailed in our checklist for evaluating schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your options so that you can make an informed decision. With the appropriate training, hard work and dedication, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC contractor in Victor NY.