HVAC Distance Learning Ellwood City PA

How to Find the Right HVAC School near Ellwood City Pennsylvania

air conditioner condensers in Ellwood City PA Now that you have decided on a career as a heating and cooling professional, the next action is to choose an HVAC technical school near Ellwood City PA. But with so many to select from, how do you select the best one to get the training that you need? Some potential students will make their selection based exclusively on the cost of tuition or how near the school is to their residence. Although these are relevant concerns, they are not the only ones to evaluate. A few of the other details that you need to investigate are the graduation rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. Those and other criteria will be addressed in more detail later in this article. But before we tackle how to select an HVAC technical school, let’s look at what a heating and a/c professional does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Contractor

Ellwood City PA 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 contractors specialize in the installation, maintenance and repair of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are commonly mandated to be licensed, although each state and local municipality has its own prerequisites. Earning professional certification is not compulsory, but an optional means for Ellwood City PA HVAC techs to establish that they are highly proficient and experienced in their area of specialization. There are many recognized certifications within the trade that are available. Here are some of the important ones.

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

Considering that licensing might be required in your location, and you may also wish to acquire certification, it’s important that you enroll in an HVAC vocational school that will train you for both. And since you will probably be dealing with refrigerants, make certain that the program you decide on preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree and Certificate Schools

radiator heater in Ellwood City PA home There are several alternatives available for HVAC training in a vocational or trade school. You can obtain a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the minimum amount of time, typically completed in as little as 6 months, although some courses are longer. A certificate will qualify you for most HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification related to the position. The degree programs can provide a competitive edge for securing employment and will furnish more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a brief explanation of each credential offered near Ellwood City PA.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among beginning residential or commercial HVAC technicians. They furnish a strong foundation of skills for job opportunities within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more exhaustive understanding of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Usually requiring 2 years to complete, a number of degrees include an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is suited 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 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 based on what your future career goals are, together with the time and money that you have to commit. One possibility is to begin with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after acquiring some experience in the trade in Ellwood City PA, later going back to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, make sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Classes

Ellwood City PA student attending HVAC school online Attending an HVAC school online is one approach in obtaining your training and earning a certificate or degree. Almost all schools will require some attendance on campus to complete hands on training. Many also offer internship or work-study programs in addition to or as an alternative to practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes may be participated in online, this approach may be a more accessible solution for some Ellwood City PA students that are short on time. And some online degree programs are less costly than other on campus alternatives. Even travelling expenses from Ellwood City and study materials can be reduced, helping to make schooling more affordable. And many online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family responsibilities have left you with limited time to attend classes, maybe an online HVAC degree program will make it more convenient to accommodate school into your busy lifestyle.

What to Ask HVAC Trade Schools

Questions to ask Ellwood City PA HVAC training schools After you have picked the type of certificate or degree that you desire to earn, either online or on campus, you can begin to limit your selection of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are many HVAC trade schools in the Ellwood City PA area and across the USA to select from. That’s why it is extremely important to have a checklist of important qualifications when making school evaluations. As previously mentioned in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will most likely be the first 2 factors you will consider. Following are some additional ones that you will want to explore before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC trade programs in the Ellwood City PA area have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can attain 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. Confirm that the school and program are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you receive a quality education, it can assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Additionally, some states mandate that the HVAC training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the HVAC 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 low completion rate could suggest that students were dissatisfied with the course and dropped out. It might also mean that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive list of graduates, which can produce more contacts for the school to utilize for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Ellwood City PA HVAC employers to assist grads acquire apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of HVAC trade programs are taught together with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating trade and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of Heating and Cooling contractors or labor unions. Check if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with local Ellwood City PA HVAC companies. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by supplying practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus facilities and the equipment that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using on the job. If you are currently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC specialist you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Ellwood City PA HVAC company if they can give you some suggestions. Additionally keep in mind that unless you are willing to move, the school must be within commuting distance of your Ellwood City PA home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much personalized training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk with several of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Last, speak with a few of the teachers and find out what their level of expertise is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you can only go to classes at night or on weekends near Ellwood City PA, check that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.

Considering an HVAC School near Ellwood City PA?

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

Ellwood City, Pennsylvania

Ellwood City is a borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a small portion in Beaver County. Ellwood City is 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Pittsburgh and some 8 miles (13 km) southeast of New Castle. In the past, Ellwood City sustained many heavy industries such as steel-tube mills, steel-car works, building-stone and limestone quarries, foundries and machine shops, and coal-mining. The population was 7,921 at the 2010 census.[6] Of the population, 7,289 lived in Lawrence County, while 632 lived in Beaver County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2), of which 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 2.09%, is water.

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 8,688 people, 3,716 households, and 2,393 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,716.6 people per square mile (1,433.5/km2). There were 4,006 housing units at an average density of 1,713.7 per square mile (661.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.22% White, 0.81% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.18% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

Enrolling in the right HVAC school program is a crucial beginning toward a rewarding career in the heating and air conditioning field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Distance Learning. However, as we have addressed in this post, you need to select an HVAC technical school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC community. Other factors to search for are lots of hands-on 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. Additionally, ask about scheduling options and if night or weekend classes are available if needed. And remember to ask about financial aid and student loan options also. If you ask the proper questions as we have detailed in our guidelines for assessing schools, you’ll be able to filter your choices so that you can make an educated decision. With the right training, hard work and dedication, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC professional in Ellwood City PA.