Air Conditioner Training New Martinsville WV

How to Pick the Right HVAC Program near New Martinsville West Virginia

air conditioner condensers in New Martinsville WV Now that you have made a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioner professional, the next step is to look for an HVAC technical school near New Martinsville WV. But with so many to select from, how do you decide on the ideal one to receive the training that you need? A number of potential students will make their decision based solely on the price of tuition or how near the school is to their residence. Even though these are necessary considerations, they are not the only ones to investigate. A few of the other factors that you need to research are the graduation completion rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. Those and additional benchmarks will be addressed in more detail later in this article. But before we explore how to choose an HVAC training program, let’s look at what a heating and cooling contractor does to become a licensed skilled tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Contractor

New Martinsville WV HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is widely used in the trade that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC technicians provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are generally required to be licensed, although each state and regional municipality has its own requirements. Acquiring professional certification is not mandatory, but an optional way for New Martinsville WV HVAC specialists to establish that they are exceptionally proficient and experienced in their area of expertise. There are several recognized certifications within the field that are offered. Following are some of the significant ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally recognized certification for HVAC technicians. The certification is attained by passing a competency exam and can be acquired in one or more specialties.
HVAC Excellence. This certification makes available both a professional and a master specialist credential. 2 years of professional experience in addition to passing a comprehensive exam are needed for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have three years of experience along with a passing result on the professional level exam. As with NATE, certifications are made available in several specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is necessary for techs that handle refrigerants. There are 3 types of certification obtainable, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing could be required in your location, and you may also intend to acquire certification, it’s imperative that you select an HVAC vocational school that will train you for both. And since you will more than likely be working with refrigerants, make sure that the school you choose prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Schools

radiator heater in New Martinsville WV home There are a variety of alternatives available for HVAC instruction in a trade or technical school. You can earn a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the minimum amount of time, typically achieved in just 6 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 related to the position. The degree training programs can provide a competitive edge for securing employment and will deliver more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief explanation of each option offered near New Martinsville WV.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among beginning residential or commercial HVAC professionals. They provide a solid foundation of skills for job opportunities within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program delivers a more detailed knowledge of heating and cooling systems than the certificate program. Typically taking two years to complete, many 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 mastering how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also learn how to design them.

Selecting the appropriate credential program will be based on what your future career goals are, together with the time and money 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 New Martinsville WV, subsequently returning to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, make certain to ask the HVAC technician school you are looking at about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Training

New Martinsville WV student attending HVAC school online Attending an HVAC school online is one possibility in attaining your training and earning a certificate or degree. Almost all schools will call for some attendance on campus to take part in practical training. Many also sponsor internship or work-study programs in addition to or as an alternative to practical lab work. But since the balance of the classes can be attended online, this approach may be a more accessible solution for many New Martinsville WV students that are short on time. And many online degree programs are cheaper than other traditional options. Even commuting expenses from New Martinsville and study materials may be minimized, helping to make schooling more economical. And many online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your career or family responsibilities have left you with minimal time to attend classes, maybe an online HVAC degree program will make it more convenient to fit school into your busy schedule.

What to Ask HVAC Certification Courses

Questions to ask New Martinsville WV HVAC training schools When you have chosen the type of degree or certificate that you wish to earn, either on campus or online, you can start to limit your selection of schools. As you are probably aware, there are numerous HVAC vocational schools in the New Martinsville WV area and all over the United States to select from. That’s why it is very important to have a checklist of key qualifiers when making school assessments. As earlier mentioned in our opening paragraph, location and tuition will most likely be the first two aspects you will look at. Following are several additional ones that you will want to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC trade programs in the New Martinsville WV area have attained either a regional or a national accreditation. They can earn Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Make certain that the program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, for instance the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain an excellent education, it can help in obtaining financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states require that the HVAC training course be accredited in order to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Air Conditioning schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate could indicate that students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. It may also mean that the instructors were not qualified to train the students. It’s also important that the schools have higher job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader directory of graduates, which may produce 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 field, but also that it has the network of New Martinsville WV HVAC employers to help students acquire apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC technical programs are taught together with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating trade and vocational programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of HVAC contractors or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are considering have referring relationships with local New Martinsville WV HVAC contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing practical training, but it also provides job opportunities and helps to establish 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 on the job. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, consult with the HVAC specialist you are working with regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local New Martinsville WV HVAC contractor if they can provide some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you are able to relocate, the school must be within commuting distance of your New Martinsville WV home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized training as possible, which can be challenging in bigger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can observe how large they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak with some of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, speak to a few of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to handle your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near New Martinsville WV, confirm that the schools you are considering provide those options. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, be sure that the school you select permits part-time enrollment. Finally, 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 New Martinsville WV?

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

New Martinsville, West Virginia

New Martinsville is located at 39°39′27″N 80°51′34″W / 39.65750°N 80.85944°W / 39.65750; -80.85944 (39.657465, -80.859504).[7]Big Fishing Creek/ Fishing Creek is located downstream nearby, just South of town.[8][9]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 5,366 people, 2,340 households, and 1,477 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,009.7 inhabitants per square mile (775.9/km2). There were 2,632 housing units at an average density of 985.8 per square mile (380.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.2% White, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population.

There were 2,340 households of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.9% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.78.

Finding the ideal HVAC training course is a crucial first step toward a gratifying career in the heating and air conditioning trade. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding Air Conditioner Training. However, as we have covered in this article, you should select an Heating and Cooling school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC trade. Other things to search for are plenty of hands-on training and modern facilities. You need to check out each of the schools personally that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and speak with both the faculty and current students. Try to get a feel for the quality of the instruction and the interaction between them. Also, inquire about scheduling choices and whether or not evening or weekend classes are offered if needed. And remember to ask about financial assistance and student loan options as well. If you ask the right questions as we have outlined in our checklist 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 New Martinsville WV.