HVAC Night School Wrightstown WI

How to Pick the Right Heating and Cooling Certification Course near Wrightstown Wisconsin

air conditioner condensers in Wrightstown WI Once you have decided on a career as a heating and air conditioning technician, the next action is to look for an HVAC trade school near Wrightstown WI. But with so many to select from, how do you choose the best one to receive the training that you require? Some prospective students will make their choice based entirely on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their residence. Even though these are important considerations, they are not the only ones to investigate. Just some of the other details that you need to look into are the graduation rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. These and additional criteria will be discussed in more detail later within this article. But before we examine how to pick an HVAC training program, let’s take a look at what a heating and a/c specialist does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Specialist

Wrightstown WI HVAC Tech installing water heater HVAC is an acronym that is commonly used in the trade that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC technicians specialize in the installation, maintenance and repair of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As skilled tradesmen, they are commonly mandated to be licensed, however every state and regional municipality has its own requirements. Earning professional certification is not required, but an alternative way for Wrightstown WI HVAC technicians to establish that they are highly qualified and accomplished in their area of specialization. There are multiple recognized certifications within the trade that are offered. Following are a few 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 exam and can be received 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 need to have three years of experience together with a passing score on the professional level exam. Similar to NATE, certifications are made available in multiple specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for technicians that handle refrigerants. There are three types of certification available, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing might be mandated in your area, and you may also intend to obtain certification, it’s important that you enroll in an HVAC vocational school that will train you for both. And since you will most likely be handling refrigerants, make sure that the program you decide on readies you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Classes

radiator heater in Wrightstown WI home There are a variety of choices available for HVAC instruction in a technical or trade school. You can attain 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, however some courses are longer. A certificate will qualify you for most HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree programs might provide a competitive advantage in the job market and will provide more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Below is a short explanation of each credential offered near Wrightstown WI.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are preferred among beginning residential or commercial HVAC specialists. They provide a solid foundation of skills for employment within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more comprehensive background of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Typically requiring two years to finish, 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 traditional 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 right credential program will be based on what your long term career goals are, along 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 getting some experience in the field in Wrightstown WI, eventually going back to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your strategy, make certain to ask the HVAC technician school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Classes

Wrightstown WI student attending HVAC school online Choosing an HVAC program online is one possibility in obtaining your training and earning a degree or certificate. Most schools will require some attendance on campus to participate in hands on training. A number also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the rest of the classes can be attended online, this alternative may be a more accessible solution for some Wrightstown WI students that are pressed for time. And some online degree programs are less costly than other traditional choices. Even driving expenses from Wrightstown and study supplies may be reduced, helping to make schooling more affordable. And a large number of online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your career or family responsibilities have left you with little time to attend classes, maybe an online HVAC degree program will make it easier to accommodate school into your active lifestyle.

Questions to Ask HVAC Certification Courses

Questions to ask Wrightstown WI HVAC training schools After you have chosen the type of degree or certificate that you wish to earn, either online or on campus, you can begin to decrease your selection of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are many HVAC trade schools in the Wrightstown WI area and all over the United States to choose from. That’s why it is imperative to have a list of key qualifications when making school assessments. As earlier stated in our opening paragraph, location and tuition will most likely be the first 2 variables you will look at. Following are some additional ones that you will want to investigate before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Many HVAC trade schools in the Wrightstown WI area have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may attain Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to a specific program, such as HVAC technology. Verify that the program and school are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education approved accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it can help in obtaining financial aid or student loans, which are in many cases not available for non-accredited programs. Also, some states mandate that the HVAC training program be accredited in order to qualify for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Air Conditioning schools you are looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage or portion of students who enroll in and complete the program. A low completion rate may indicate that students were unhappy with the course and quit. It could also signify that the teachers were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s also important that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may result in more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate will not only validate that the school has an excellent reputation within the trade, but also that it has the network of Wrightstown WI HVAC employers to help students secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of HVAC training programs are taught along with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of HVAC businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have working partnerships with local Wrightstown WI HVAC contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by providing practical training, but it also supplies employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the area HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the equipment that you will be instructed 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, consult with the HVAC technician you are working with concerning what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Wrightstown WI HVAC contractor if they can provide some tips. Additionally keep in mind that unless you can relocate, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Wrightstown WI residence. Remember that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be higher tuition charges compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much personalized instruction as possible, which can be difficult in larger classes. Ask if you can monitor some of the classes so that you can see how big they are and witness first hand the interaction between students and instructors. Speak to a few of the students and get their feedback regarding class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to some of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Verify that the class schedules for the schools you are assessing are flexible enough to meet your needs. If you are only able to attend classes at night or on weekends near Wrightstown WI, check that the programs you are considering provide those choices. If you can only attend on a part-time basis, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Also, check out what the policy is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Considering an HVAC School near Wrightstown WI?

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

Wrightstown, Wisconsin

Wrightstown is a village in Brown and Outagamie counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 2,827 at the 2010 census. Of this, 2,676 were in Brown County, and 151 were in Outagamie County. The village is surrounded mostly by the westernmost part of the Town of Wrightstown in Brown County. On February 28, 2002, the village annexed a portion of land within the adjacent Town of Kaukauna in Outagamie County.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 4.30 square miles (11.14 km2), of which, 4.09 square miles (10.59 km2) of it is land and 0.21 square miles (0.54 km2) is water.[1]

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 2,827 people, 1,027 households, and 776 families residing in the village. The population density was 691.2 inhabitants per square mile (266.9/km2). There were 1,087 housing units at an average density of 265.8 per square mile (102.6/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 94.8% White, 0.8% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 1.7% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.4% of the population.

Finding the right HVAC school program is an important first step toward a gratifying career in the heating and cooling field. You originally came to this website because you wanted more information regarding HVAC Night School. However, as we have discussed in this post, you should choose an Heating and Cooling technical school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC community. Other things to search for are lots of hands-on training and modern facilities. You should check out each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to explore the campus and talk with both the faculty and current students. Try to get a feel for the quality of the teaching and the interaction between them. In addition, ask about scheduling choices and if evening or weekend classes are available if needed. And don’t forget to ask about financial aid and student loan options also. If you ask the appropriate questions as we have laid out in our checklist for assessing 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 eventually become a licensed HVAC professional in Wrightstown WI.