HVAC Schools Near Me in Afton NY 13730 - Become an HVAC Technician

How to Choose an HVAC School near Afton New York

Afton NY HVAC tech servicing AC compressor Once you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioning specialist, the next action is to find an HVAC vocational school near Afton NY. But with so many to choose from, how do you decide on the ideal one to receive the training that you require? Some prospective students will make their choice based solely on the price of tuition or how near the school is to their residence. While these are significant factors to consider, they are not the only ones to evaluate. Some of the other factors 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 other benchmarks will be addressed in more detail later in 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 technician does to become a licensed qualified tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Professional in Afton NY

Afton NY HVAC tech servicing industrial furnaces HVAC is an acronym that is extensively used in the trade that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC professionals specialize in the installation, maintenance and repair of air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are typically mandated to be licensed, although each state and local municipality has its own criteria. Attaining professional certification is not compulsory, but a voluntary means for Afton NY HVAC techs to demonstrate that they are highly skilled and accomplished in their area of expertise. There are multiple recognized certifications within the field that are offered. Following are a few of the important ones.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE). NATE is a nationally acknowledged certification for HVAC techs. The certification is earned by passing a competency examination 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 field experience together with passing a comprehensive exam are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists must have 3 years of experience in addition to a passing score on the professional level exam. Similar to NATE, certifications are offered in several specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for technicians that work with refrigerants. There are three forms of certification offered, 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 desire to acquire certification, it’s important that you enroll in an HVAC trade school that will prepare you for both. And since you will more than likely be handling refrigerants, make sure that the program you select preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 examinations.

HVAC Degree Classes

Afton NY HVAC contractor installing residential water heater There are several alternatives available for HVAC instruction in a vocational or trade school. You can earn a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the lesser amount of time, often achieved in just six months, though some courses are longer. A certificate will train you for the majority of HVAC positions, especially if you are licensed and have certification applicable to the position. The degree programs may provide a competitive edge in the job market and will provide more extensive training than the certificate programs. Below is a brief explanation of each credential offered near Afton NY.

Certificate. Generally requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level commercial or residential HVAC professionals. They provide a solid foundation of skills for job opportunities within the industry.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program supplies a more extensive background of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Usually requiring 2 years to complete, many 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 standard four year program. In addition to mastering how to service and maintain heating and air conditioning systems, you will also study how to design them.

Selecting the appropriate credential program will be dependent on what your future career goals are, along with the time and money that you have to commit. One approach is to start with a certificate or perhaps an Associate Degree program, and after gaining some experience in the field in Afton NY, later going back to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your tactic, make sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Schools Online

attending HVAC Training School Online in Afton NY Enrolling in an HVAC program online is one option to getting your training and receiving a degree or certificate. Nearly all schools will call for some attendance on campus to participate in practical training. Many also provide internship or work-study programs in addition to or instead of practical lab work. But since the remainder of the classes may be participated in via the internet, this alternative may be a more convenient solution for some Afton NY students that are short on time. And many online degree programs are more economical than other traditional options. Even driving expenses from Afton and study supplies can be minimized, helping to make education more economical. And a large number of 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 HVAC online training program will make it easier to fit school into your active lifestyle.

Questions For HVAC Training Programs near Afton NY

As soon as you have decided on the type of certificate or degree that you wish to earn, either online or on campus, you can begin to limit your selection of schools. As you are probably aware, there are many HVAC technical schools in the Afton NY area and all over the USA to pick from. That’s why it is imperative to have a list of relevant qualifiers when making school assessments. As formerly stated in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will most likely be the first 2 aspects you will consider. Following are some additional ones that you need to research before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. Numerous HVAC trade programs in the Afton NY area have earned either a regional or a national accreditation. They may receive Institutional Accreditation, which involves the school’s programs overall, or Programmatic Accreditation, which relates to an individual program, for instance HVAC technology. Make sure that the program is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Along with helping make certain that you get a superior education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. Furthermore, many states mandate 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 looking at what their completion rates are. The completion rate is the percentage of students who enroll in and finish the course. A low completion rate may indicate that students were disappointed with the course and dropped out. It may also suggest that the teachers were not competent to train the students. It’s also imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list 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 can not only validate that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Afton NY HVAC employers to assist students secure apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. Most HVAC technical programs are taught in conjunction with an apprenticeship or an internship program. Those participating vocational and technical programs will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of HVAC businesses or trade unions. Find out if the schools you are comparing have referring relationships with local Afton NY HVAC contractors. An apprenticeship not only offers a rewarding experience by supplying practical training, but it also furnishes employment opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make sure that the campus 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 presently in an internship or an apprenticeship, talk to the HVAC tech you are working under regarding what you should be looking for. Otherwise, ask a local Afton NY HVAC company if they can give you some pointers. Additionally bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within driving distance of your Afton NY home. Remember that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added moving costs there can be higher tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive as much one-on-one training 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 experience the interaction between instructors and students. Talk to a few of the students and get their comments concerning class sizes and instruction. Last, talk to some of the instructors and find out what their level of expertise is and what degrees or certifications they have earned.

Flexible Scheduling. Confirm that the class schedules for the schools you are evaluating are flexible enough to fulfill your needs. If you can only attend classes at night or on weekends near Afton NY, verify that the schools you are considering offer 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 policy is to make-up classes should you miss any due to work, sickness or family emergencies.

Attending HVAC School near Afton NY?

Afton, New York

Afton is a town in Chenango County, New York, United States. The population was 2,851 at the 2010 census.[3] Afton is situated in the southeast corner of the county and lies wholly within the original township of Clinton. It was formed from the town of Bainbridge on November 18, 1857, and derives its name from Afton Water, a small river in the parish of New Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, immortalized by the poet Robert Burns. It is bounded on the north by Bainbridge and Coventry, on the east by Delaware County, and on the west and south by Broome County.

Bainbridge and Afton were once combined as one town called Jericho. A particularly severe winter storm left residents starving or freezing to death from lack of supplies in the area which is now known as Afton. The cold and snow had been so severe, the townspeople of what is now Bainbridge refused to help. When spring came, hard feelings were had by the rural residents, and the town of Jericho split into two. Afton was named from a line in a poem cherished by the town, and also named with an "A" because it came first alphabetically, so that it came before "Bainbridge" on state registers. Afton was once called "Clinton" after General George Clinton, and was jokingly called "Jockey Port" due to the horse raceway in Afton.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.5 square miles (120.5 km2), of which 45.8 square miles (118.7 km2) is land and 0.69 square miles (1.8 km2), or 1.46%, is water.[3]

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Select the Right HVAC Training Classes near Afton NY

Choosing the ideal HVAC training course is an important first step toward a fulfilling career in the heating and air conditioning trade. As we have covered in this article, you need to pick a technical school and a degree or certificate program that are both accredited and have outstanding reputations within the HVAC community. Other features to search for are plenty of practical training and modern facilities. You should check out 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 teaching and the interaction between them. Additionally, inquire about scheduling choices and whether or not evening or weekend classes are offered if needed. And remember to inquire about financial aid and student loan options as well. If you ask the proper questions as we have laid out in our checklist for comparing schools, you’ll be able to filter your choices so that you can make an educated decision. With the right training, hard work and commitment, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC professional in Afton NY.