HVAC Trade Schools Near Me in Columbia TN 38401 Archives

How to Choose an HVAC Training Course near Columbia Tennessee

Columbia TN HVAC tech servicing AC compressor Once you have made a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioning professional, the next step is to locate an HVAC trade school near Columbia TN. But with so many to pick from, how do you choose the right one to receive the training that you require? Some potential students will make their choice based exclusively on the price 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. A few 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 additional benchmarks will be covered in more detail later within this article. But before we explore how to pick an HVAC vocational school, let’s look at what a heating and a/c professional does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

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Becoming an HVAC Tech in Columbia TN

Columbia TN HVAC tech servicing industrial furnaces HVAC is an acronym that is commonly used in the trade 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 commonly mandated to be licensed, though each state and local municipality has its own requirements. Earning professional certification is not required, but a voluntary means for Columbia TN HVAC techs to prove that they are highly qualified and accomplished in their area of expertise. There are multiple respected certifications within the industry that are available. Following 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 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 as well as passing a comprehensive exam are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have three years of experience together with a passing score on the professional level exam. Similar to NATE, certifications are made available in various specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is necessary for technicians that handle refrigerants. There are 3 types of certification obtainable, one for small appliances, and the additional two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Considering that licensing could be mandated in your area, and you may also wish to acquire certification, it’s essential that you choose an HVAC vocational school that will train you for both. And since you will most likely be handling refrigerants, make certain that the program you choose prepares you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Certificate and Degree Training Programs

Columbia TN HVAC contractor installing residential water heater There are a variety of options available for HVAC instruction in a technical or trade school. You can earn a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Acquiring a certificate will take the minimum amount of time, typically accomplished in as little as 6 months, although some programs are longer. A certificate will train you for most HVAC positions, particularly if you are licensed and have certification related to the position. The degree training programs can provide a competitive advantage in the job market and will furnish more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Following is a brief summary of each option offered near Columbia TN.

Certificate. Normally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level residential or commercial HVAC technicians. They furnish a strong foundation of skills for job opportunities within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program provides a more extensive knowledge of heating & cooling systems than the certificate program. Typically taking 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 conventional 4 year program. In addition to being taught how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also learn how to design them.

Choosing the right credential program will be based on what your long term career aspirations are, in addition to the time and money that you have to commit. One option is to start with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after gaining some experience in the field in Columbia TN, later returning to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, make sure to ask the HVAC technician school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Online Courses

attending HVAC Training School Online in Columbia TN Attending an HVAC program online is one possibility to obtaining your education and receiving a degree or certificate. Nearly all schools will call for some attendance on campus to complete hands on training. A number also sponsor internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the remainder of the classes can be participated in via the internet, this alternative may be a more convenient solution for some Columbia TN students that are pressed for time. And many online degree programs are cheaper than other on campus alternatives. Even driving expenses from Columbia and study supplies can be lessened, helping to make education more budget-friendly. And numerous online schools are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your job or family commitments have left you with minimal time to attend classes, perhaps an online HVAC degree program will make it less complicated to accommodate school into your busy schedule.

What to Ask HVAC Certification Courses near Columbia TN

When you have decided on the type of degree or certificate that you want to earn, either online or on campus, you can begin to decrease your list of schools. As you are no doubt aware, there are numerous HVAC vocational schools in the Columbia TN area and all over the United States to select from. That’s why it is essential to have a list of key qualifiers when making school assessments. As formerly stated in our opening paragraph, location and tuition will most likely be the initial 2 aspects you will look at. Following are several additional ones that you need to investigate before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Numerous HVAC technical programs in the Columbia TN area have received either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which focuses on the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Verify that the program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, which includes the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive a quality education, it may help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited programs. Also, many states require that the HVAC training course be accredited for it to be approved for licensing.

High Completion Rates. Ask the Heating and Cooling schools you are considering what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the program. A lower completion rate may signify that students were unhappy with the course and dropped out. It could also mean that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s similarly essential that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a more extensive directory of alumni, which may mean 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 industry, but additionally that it has the network of Columbia TN HVAC employers to help students secure apprenticeships or jobs.

Apprenticeship Programs. Many HVAC vocational programs are taught along with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program inside their network of Heating and Cooling businesses or labor unions. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with local Columbia TN HVAC contractors. An apprenticeship not only provides a valuable experience by providing practical training, but it also provides employment opportunities and helps to build relationships in the regional HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the school facilities and the tools that you will be trained on are state-of-the-art and what you will be using in the field. If you are presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, check with the HVAC specialist you are working with regarding what you should be expecting. If not, ask a local Columbia TN HVAC contractor if they can give you some suggestions. Also keep in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Columbia TN residence. Take note that if you decide to attend an out-of-state school, in addition to relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you get as much individualized instruction as possible, which can be challenging in larger classes. Ask if you can sit in on a few of the classes so that you can observe how big they are and experience the interaction between students and teachers. Speak to several of the students and get their comments relating to class sizes and instruction. Finally, talk with a few of the instructors and learn what their level of experience is and what certifications or degrees they hold.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are reviewing are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes in the evening or on weekends near Columbia TN, confirm that the programs you are comparing provide those choices. If you can only attend part-time, be sure that the school you select offers part-time enrollment. Also, find out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Attending HVAC School near Columbia TN?

Nashville metropolitan area

The Office of Management and Budget defines the metro area as the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN, Metropolitan Statistical Area, a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) designated for statistical use by the United States Census Bureau and other agencies. The area is the 36th largest MSA in the United States[2] and is the largest metropolitan area in the state of Tennessee. The metropolitan statistical area was first designated in 1950 and initially included only Davidson County. As surrounding counties increased in population and population densities and in the number of the number of their residents employed in Davidson County, the OMB added new counties to the MSA. Today, the metro area includes Davidson and 13 other counties.

The Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro, TN, Combined Statistical Area (CSA) is the result of the addition of the Micropolitan Statistical Areas of Shelbyville (Bedford County), Lawrenceburg (Lawrence County) and Lewisburg (Marshall County) to the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The estimated population of the CSA as of July 1, 2017, was 2,027,471.[1]

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Pick the Right HVAC Certification Training near Columbia TN

Finding the ideal HVAC training course is a crucial beginning toward a gratifying career in the heating and air conditioning field. As we have covered in this post, you should choose a school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC trade. Other factors to look for are sufficient hands-on training and state-of-the-art facilities. You should visit each of the schools in person 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 training and the interaction between them. In addition, ask about scheduling options and whether or not night or weekend classes are offered if needed. And remember to ask about financial aid and student loan options too. If you ask the right questions as we have laid out in our checklist for assessing schools, you’ll be able to filter your choices so that you can make an informed decision. With the proper training, hard work and commitment, you can ultimately become a licensed HVAC specialist in Columbia TN.