HVAC Trade Schools Near Me Brentwood TN

How to Enroll In the Right HVAC Certification Class near Brentwood Tennessee

air conditioner condensers in Brentwood TN Now that you have decided on a career as a heating and air conditioner specialist, the next step is to locate an HVAC trade school near Brentwood TN. But with so many to pick from, how do you decide on the best one to obtain the training that you need? Many future students will make their selection based exclusively on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their residence. While these are relevant factors to consider, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Just some of the other things that you need to research are the graduation rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. Those and other benchmarks will be covered in more detail later within this article. But before we discuss how to choose an HVAC trade school, let’s take a look at what a heating and a/c contractor does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

How to Become an HVAC Tech

Brentwood TN HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is frequently used in the industry that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC contractors provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are typically mandated to be licensed, though every state and regional municipality has its own requirements. Obtaining professional certification is not mandatory, but a voluntary means for Brentwood TN HVAC technicians to demonstrate that they are exceptionally skilled and accomplished in their area of expertise. There are several respected certifications within the field that are available. Following are some of the significant ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally recognized certification for HVAC techs. The certification is achieved by passing a competency 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 professional experience together with passing a comprehensive exam are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have 3 years of experience as well as a passing result on the professional level examination. As with NATE, certifications are offered in various specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for specialists that handle refrigerants. There are three types of certification obtainable, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing may be required in your location, and you may also intend to obtain certification, it’s important that you select an HVAC vocational school that will prepare you for both. And since you will probably be handling refrigerants, make sure that the school you pick prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree and Certificate Classes

radiator heater in Brentwood TN home There are a variety of options offered for HVAC instruction in a technical or vocational 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 achieved in just six months, though some programs are longer. A certificate will qualify you for the majority of HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification appropriate to the position. The degree training programs may provide a competitive advantage in the job market and will deliver more extensive training than the certificate programs. Following is a short explanation of each credential offered near Brentwood TN.

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

Choosing the right credential program will be based on what your future career objectives are, along with the time and financial resources that you have to commit. One approach is to start with a certificate or even an Associate Degree program, and after getting some experience in the field in Brentwood TN, subsequently returning to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, make certain to ask the HVAC tech school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Classes

Brentwood TN student attending HVAC school online Enrolling in an HVAC school online is one possibility to getting your training and earning a degree or certificate. Almost all schools will require some attendance on campus to participate in hands on training. A number also offer internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended online, this alternative may be a more accessible solution for many Brentwood TN students that are pressed for time. And a number of online degree programs are less expensive than other traditional alternatives. Even travelling expenses from Brentwood and study supplies may be minimized, helping to make education more affordable. And numerous online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your work or family responsibilities have left you with minimal time to attend classes, perhaps an HVAC online training program will make it less complicated to fit school into your active schedule.

Questions to Ask HVAC Training Classes

Questions to ask Brentwood TN HVAC training schools As soon as you have selected the type of certificate or degree that you desire to obtain, either on campus or online, you can start to limit your selection of schools. As you are probably aware, there are numerous HVAC technical schools in the Brentwood TN area and across the Country to choose from. That’s why it is essential to have a list of key qualifiers when making school evaluations. As formerly mentioned in our opening paragraph, location and tuition will probably be the initial two aspects you will consider. Following are some additional ones that you will want to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC trade programs in the Brentwood TN area have acquired either a regional or a national accreditation. They can receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Confirm that the school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting organization, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you get a superior education, it can help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often unavailable for non-accredited programs. Furthermore, a number of states mandate that the HVAC training program 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 percentage of students who enroll in and complete the course. A low completion rate might suggest that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It could also indicate that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of graduates, which may produce more contacts for the school to use for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has an excellent reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Brentwood TN HVAC employers to help graduates secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Numerous HVAC training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and technical schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of Heating and Cooling companies or labor unions. Ask if the schools you are considering have working partnerships with local Brentwood TN HVAC specialists. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to build relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Confirm that the campus facilities and the tools that you will be instructed on are state-of-the-art and what you will be working with on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC technician you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Brentwood TN HVAC contracting company if they can give you some suggestions. Also bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Brentwood TN residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to moving costs there may be increased tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much one-on-one training as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor a couple of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between instructors and students. Speak to a few of the students and get their opinions relating to class sizes and instruction. Last, talk with some of the instructors 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 programs you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Brentwood TN, verify that the programs you are reviewing offer those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, 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, illness or family responsibilities.

Considering an HVAC School near Brentwood TN?

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

Brentwood, Tennessee

The first known residents of Brentwood were prehistoric Native Americans. Known as Mound Indians or Stone Box Indians, these Mississippian-period people built mounds with ceremonial buildings. Such early villages have been found in the Meadowlake subdivision, at the library site on Concord Road and at Primm Historic Park where the largest of the mounds is still visible today. By 1300 the groups had seemingly disappeared. No one knows if it was due to disease or to their choosing to leave because of threat of warfare.

When the early white settlers arrived in Brentwood in the late 1700s, the area had become a hunting ground for nomadic Native Americans coming up from Georgia and Alabama. This resulted in many conflicts. At least one massacre occurred in 1786 at the Southerland Mayfield family fort at Wilson Pike and Old Smyrna Road. Mayfield and two other men were killed and his son George was taken captive for ten years.

Some of the first families were those of James Sneed, Robert Irvin Moore, Thomas Hardeman, Gresham Hunt, Samuel and Andrew Crockett, and John Edmondson who arrived well before 1800. The Holts, Herberts, Frosts, Hadleys, Hightowers, McGavocks, and Owens soon followed. Many of these families were given land grants because of service in the Virginia or North Carolina troops during the Revolutionary War. Many of these families historic homes are still on display today.

Finding the ideal HVAC school program is a crucial first step toward a gratifying career in the heating and air conditioning industry. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Trade Schools Near Me. However, as we have addressed in this article, you need to pick an HVAC technical school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC community. Other features to search for are plenty of hands-on training and modern facilities. You should visit each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to tour the campus and talk with both the faculty and current students. Try to get a feel for the quality of the instruction and the interaction between them. In addition, inquire about scheduling options and whether 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 right questions as we have detailed in our checklist for comparing schools, you’ll be able to filter your choices so that you can make an educated decision. With the proper training, hard work and dedication, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC professional in Brentwood TN.