HVAC Schools Near Me in Nassawadox VA 23413

How to Find the Right HVAC Certification Class near Nassawadox Virginia

Nassawadox VA HVAC tech servicing AC compressor Once you have come to a decision on a career as a heating and air conditioner professional, the next action is to choose an HVAC trade school near Nassawadox VA. But with so many to choose from, how do you choose the best one to receive the training that you need? A number of potential students will make their selection based solely on the cost of tuition or how close the school is to their residence. Although these are important considerations, they are not the only ones to investigate. Just some of the other factors that you need to look into are the graduation completion rates of the HVAC schools, their reputations, and if they are accredited by professional trade organizations. These and additional benchmarks will be discussed in more detail later within this article. But before we tackle how to pick an HVAC vocational school, let’s take a look at what a heating and a/c contractor does to become a licensed professional tradesman.

Becoming an HVAC Contractor in Nassawadox VA

Nassawadox VA HVAC tech servicing industrial furnaces HVAC is an acronym that is extensively used in the industry that stands for “Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning”. HVAC technicians provide services for the installation, maintenance and repair of central air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, water heaters and heating systems. As professional tradesmen, they are generally required to be licensed, although each state and regional municipality has its own prerequisites. Earning professional certification is not compulsory, but a voluntary means for Nassawadox VA HVAC technicians to establish 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 a few of the important 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 offers both a professional and a master specialist credential. Two years of professional experience as well as passing a comprehensive examination are required for the professional level certification. Master specialists need to have 3 years of experience together with a passing score on the professional level examination. As with NATE, certifications are made available in several specialties.
EPA Section 608. This certification is required for techs that handle refrigerants. There are three types of certification offered, one for small appliances, and the other two for low and high pressure refrigerants.

Because licensing may be mandated in your location, and you may also desire to earn certification, it’s important that you choose an HVAC trade school that will prepare you for both. And since you will most likely be working with refrigerants, make sure that the school you pick preps you for passing the EPA Section 608 exams.

HVAC Degree Classes

Nassawadox VA HVAC contractor installing residential water heater There are a number of alternatives offered for HVAC training in a technical or vocational school. You can earn a certificate, an Associate Degree, or a Bachelor’s Degree. Earning a certificate will take the least period of time, usually completed in just six months, though 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 training programs may provide a competitive advantage in the job market and will furnish more in-depth training than the certificate programs. Below is a short explanation of each credential offered near Nassawadox VA.

Certificate. Usually requiring a high school diploma, certificate programs are very popular among entry level commercial or residential HVAC specialists. They provide a solid foundation of skills for job opportunities within the trade.
Associate Degree. The Associate Degree in HVAC program supplies a more extensive knowledge of heating and a/c systems than the certificate program. Usually requiring 2 years to complete, many degrees include an internship or work-study program.
Bachelor’s Degree. The Bachelor’s Degree in HVAC is tailored more towards a career in management or even business ownership. Some programs require an Associate Degree, while others are a traditional 4 year program. In addition to being taught how to service and maintain heating and cooling systems, you will also study how to design them.

Selecting the appropriate credential program will be dependent on what your long term career objectives are, along with the time and financial resources 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 Nassawadox VA, subsequently going back to acquire a Bachelor’s Degree. If this is your approach, be sure to ask the HVAC tech school you are considering about how their returning student program works.

HVAC Courses Online

attending HVAC Training School Online in Nassawadox VA Enrolling in an HVAC program online is one option to getting your training and receiving a certificate or degree. Nearly all schools will call for some attendance on campus to take part in hands on training. Many also offer internship or work-study programs in addition to or in place of practical lab work. But since the remainder of the classes can be attended on the web, this alternative may be a more practical solution for some Nassawadox VA students that are short on time. And some online degree programs are less expensive than other traditional alternatives. Even commuting expenses from Nassawadox and study materials may be lessened, helping to make education more affordable. And numerous online programs are fully accredited (more on this later). So if your career or family responsibilities have left you with limited time to attend classes, perhaps an HVAC online training program will make it easier to accommodate school into your active lifestyle.

What to Ask HVAC Trade Schools near Nassawadox VA

After you have picked the type of degree or certificate that you desire to attain, either online or on campus, you can begin to narrow down your list of schools. As you are certainly aware, there are a large number of HVAC vocational schools in the Nassawadox VA area and across the USA to pick from. That’s why it is very important to have a checklist of key qualifications when making school comparisons. As earlier mentioned in our opening paragraph, tuition and location will probably be the initial 2 variables you will take into consideration. Following are several additional ones that you need to explore before enrolling in your school of choice.

Accreditation. A large number of HVAC vocational schools in the Nassawadox VA area have acquired 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 school is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency, such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. In addition to helping make certain that you receive a superior education, it may assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently unavailable for non-accredited schools. 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 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 complete the course. A lower completion rate might signify that students were unhappy with the program and quit. It might also indicate that the instructors were not qualified to instruct the students. It’s similarly imperative that the schools have high job placement rates. Older and/or more reputable schools may have a broader list of graduates, which can produce more contacts for the school to employ for their apprenticeship and job placement programs. A high job placement rate can not only affirm that the school has a good reputation within the field, but also that it has the network of Nassawadox VA HVAC employers to help grads obtain apprenticeships or employment.

Apprenticeship Programs. A large number of HVAC technical programs are taught in conjunction with an internship or an apprenticeship program. Those participating vocational and trade schools will help place you in an apprenticeship program within their network of HVAC companies or trade unions. Check if the schools you are reviewing have referring relationships with local Nassawadox VA HVAC professionals. An apprenticeship not only provides a rewarding experience by furnishing hands-on training, but it also supplies job opportunities and helps to form relationships in the local HVAC professional community.

Modern Facilities. Make certain 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 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 Nassawadox VA HVAC company if they can give you some tips. Also bear in mind that unless you can move, the school needs to be within commuting distance of your Nassawadox VA home. Take note that if you decide to enroll in an out-of-state school, besides the added relocation costs there might be increased tuition fees compared to in-state residents.

Smaller Classes. It’s important that you receive 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 experience the interaction between teachers and students. Speak with several of the students and get their opinions concerning class sizes and instruction. Finally, speak to 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 meet your needs. If you are only able to go to classes at night or on weekends near Nassawadox VA, confirm that the schools you are comparing provide those options. If you can only attend part-time, make sure that the school you select allows part-time enrollment. Finally, check out what the protocol is to make-up classes should you miss any because of work, sickness or family issues.

Attending HVAC School near Nassawadox VA?

Nassawadox, Virginia

Nassawadox is a town in Northampton County, Virginia, United States. The town, with an area of 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2), is located on U.S. Route 13 on Virginia's Eastern Shore, approximately five miles south of Exmore and 25 miles (40 km) north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

The name derives from a word from a Native American language that means "land between two waters." Nassawadox is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and on the west by the Chesapeake Bay. The county is divided as is the town into bayside and seaside areas which refers to the land on either side of the highway, Route 13(Lankford Highway) which runs through Accomack and Northampton Counties.

Highlighting its name and its location, Nassawadox has since 1993 hosted the annual October Between the Waters Bike Tour, which features bike tours of various lengths between the Eastern Shore's two coasts.

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Enroll in the Right HVAC Trade School near Nassawadox VA

Picking the right HVAC training course is a critical first step toward a rewarding career in the heating & cooling field. As we have covered in this article, you should choose a school and a certificate or degree program that are both accredited and have excellent reputations within the HVAC profession. Other features to search for are lots of practical training and state-of-the-art facilities. You need to go to each of the schools in person that you are most interested in to inspect the campus and talk with both the current students and faculty. Attempt to get a feel for the quality of the training and the interaction between them. Also, ask about scheduling choices and whether evening or weekend classes are offered if needed. And remember to ask about financial aid and student loan options also. If you ask the right questions as we have laid out in our guidelines for comparing schools, you’ll be able to narrow down your options so that you can make an informed decision. With the right training, hard work and commitment, you can eventually become a licensed HVAC specialist in Nassawadox VA.