HVAC Certificate Programs Lewisville NC

How to Enroll In the Right Heating and Cooling Degree Program near Lewisville North Carolina

air conditioner condensers in Lewisville NC Now that you have made a decision on a career as a heating and cooling technician, the next action is to find an HVAC technical school near Lewisville NC. But with so many to select from, how do you choose the best one to receive the training that you need? Many future students will make their decision based entirely on the price of tuition or how near the school is to their home. Even though these are significant factors to consider, they are not the only ones to investigate. 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 addressed in more detail later within this article. But before we explore how to pick an HVAC trade school, let’s look at what a heating and a/c specialist does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Pro

Lewisville NC 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 air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are commonly required to be licensed, though each state and local municipality has its own requirements. Earning professional certification is not required, but a voluntary means for Lewisville NC HVAC techs to establish that they are exceptionally qualified and experienced in their area of specialization. There are a number of acknowledged certifications within the trade that are available. Here are a few of the important ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally recognized certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is earned by passing a competency examination and may be earned in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification offers both a professional and a master specialist credential. 2 years of field experience in addition to passing a comprehensive examination are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have three years of experience in addition to a passing score on the professional level exam. As with NATE, certifications are provided in several specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for techs that handle refrigerants. There are 3 forms of certification available, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Since licensing may be mandated in your location, and you may also intend to obtain certification, it’s imperative that you pick an HVAC vocational school that will train you for both. And since you will most likely be handling refrigerants, make certain that the school you pick prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Classes

radiator heater in Lewisville NC home There are a variety of choices offered for HVAC instruction in a technical or vocational school. You can attain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the minimum amount of time, typically achieved in as little as six months, however some courses are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification relevant to the position. The degree programs may provide a competitive edge in the job market and will provide more comprehensive training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief summary of each credential offered near Lewisville NC.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among beginning commercial or residential HVAC technicians. They furnish a solid foundation of skills for job opportunities within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more detailed understanding of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Usually requiring 2 years to complete, some 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 as well as business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a standard 4 year program. In addition to being taught how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also study how to design them.

Selecting the right credential program will be dependent on what your future career aspirations are, together with the time and money that you have to invest. One possibility is to begin with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after gaining some experience in the trade in Lewisville NC, subsequently returning to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your approach, make sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Courses Online

Lewisville NC student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC school online is one alternative in getting your education and receiving a degree or certificate. Nearly all schools will require some attendance on campus to participate in practical training. A number also offer internship or work-study programs in addition to or in place of practical lab work. But since the remainder of the classes can be participated in on the web, this alternative may be a more convenient solution for some Lewisville NC students that are short on time. And some online degree programs are less expensive than other traditional alternatives. Even travelling expenses from Lewisville and study supplies can be reduced, helping to make education more economical. And many online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family responsibilities have left you with limited time to attend classes, perhaps an online HVAC degree program will make it easier to fit school into your busy schedule.

What to Ask HVAC Certification Classes

Questions to ask Lewisville NC HVAC training schools When you have picked the type of degree or certificate that you want to acquire, either online or on campus, you can start to decrease your list of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are a large number of HVAC vocational schools in the Lewisville NC area and throughout the Country to select from. That’s why it is very important to have a checklist of relevant qualifiers when making school evaluations. As formerly stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will probably be the first 2 variables 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 schools in the Lewisville NC area have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, such as HVAC technology. Make sure that the program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you receive a quality education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states require that the HVAC training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Cooling schools you are reviewing what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the portion or percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate could suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It might also signify that the instructors were not competent to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which can result in 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 an excellent reputation within the trade, but additionally that it has the network of Lewisville NC HVAC employers to assist students secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous HVAC technical 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 inside their network of Heating and Cooling businesses or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have working partnerships with local Lewisville NC HVAC specialists. An apprenticeship not only offers a valuable experience by furnishing hands-on 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 state-of-the-art and what you will be working with in the field. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the HVAC tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Lewisville NC HVAC contracting company if they can provide some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Lewisville NC residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there can be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s desirable that you get as much personalized training as possible, which can be difficult in bigger classes. Ask if you can sit in on some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak with some of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Make sure that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Lewisville NC, check 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 allows part-time enrollment. Also, ask what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering an HVAC School near Lewisville NC?

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

Lewisville, North Carolina

Lewisville, North Carolina is a residential community of more than 13,000 people in western Forsyth County, North Carolina. While the town was incorporated in 1991, it has a long history as a township dating back to the 1700s.

One of the reasons the residents decided to incorporate was to retain the town’s small-town feel. A great deal of time and effort have gone into planning for future growth. The town square is the focal point for the downtown, setting the tone for that future development. Shallowford Square is the setting for many of the town’s family-oriented activities and it continues to foster a real sense of community in Lewisville From its first days as a community, where rugged pioneers loaded Nissen wagons with provisions preparing to cross the Shallow Ford as they embarked on a great adventure westward, Lewisville has embodied, in its very essence, a sense of community, a spirit of independence and a determination to guide its own future.

It was from this foundation of community spirit and involvement that residents, in 1991, took steps to incorporate the town. The goal was not to keep Lewisville from being annexed by another municipality, but rather it was so residents could guide the town’s future, manage its growth and preserve the unique character that was being threatened by unplanned, often irresponsible development.

Enrolling in the ideal HVAC training program is a crucial beginning toward a fulfilling career in the heating and cooling field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Certificate Programs. However, as we have discussed in this post, you should select an HVAC vocational school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC profession. Other things to search for are sufficient practical training and state-of-the-art facilities. You need to go to 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. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. Also, inquire about scheduling choices and whether or not night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And don’t forget to ask about financial aid and student loan options too. If you ask the appropriate questions as we have outlined in our guidelines for comparing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your options so that you can make an educated decision. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC contractor in Lewisville NC.