Starting my Associates in HVAC

[davidmsmj]

Hey everyone, My name is Dave Johnson and I just enrolled in spring classes at East Central Ivy Tech for my Associates degree in HVAC. I'm rather excited to start learning the trade. I've been doing landscaping, carpet/tile/laminate, and right now I'm currently roofing.

I'm not sure if this is the place to ask this, but what will an associates degree get me that a technical certification won't? Either way I'm still getting it because it interests me, but i'm just curious.

Thanks!

[queball727]

I attended a local trade school and also got AOS in HVAC/R. After all the money I spent I joined the local union and am in the process of their apprenticeship. So my suggestion to you is find the local union and join...heck of a lot cheaper and the training is 1000 times better.

[Bernie74]

I looked at some two year schools. They run about $24,000 for HVAC/R program. It seems like a lot of money to be crawling around in attics and crawl spaces. Your still gonna have to start as an apprentice or helper. So, what about the Associates degree you earned? Basically toilet paper in my opinion. In Massachusetts we have a couple private technical schools that offer HVAC/R programs and yes they are accredited and much less cash. Either way it is very difficult to get started in this trade unless your Dad or uncle owns a company...and getting into a union apprenticeship program..good luck with that. I'm not trying to discourage you, just my experience and two cents.

[queball727]

Its not that hard to get into this field.....You have to have some determination and schooling. Go for it you will not regret the decision of the HVAC field!

[jtrammel]

Pretty much toilet paper, unless you are competing for the job with someone who doesn't have one. Most companies want someone with 5 yrs on the job experience so if you are going for a job with someone who doesn't have degree but has 5 yrs exp and you have a degree w no exp the exp tech gets the job. They teach you the theory of refrigeration and electricity but little or no real word application. It takes thousands of hours of on the job to know what's going on. There is so much to hvacr. You have to know a lot about most trades and a at least a little about all trades. I'm not trying to discourage you, just being real. I love my job and wouldn't trade it for any other

[ironpit]

Whether you amount to anything depends primarily on you. Unions, if you can stomach their attitudes, provide excellent training, as far as technical skills go. Still, some of the best techs I've met have Itt or Ivy tech training.

It's up to you, how you plan things, and how well you execute the God given talents that you have.

The degree will be two years of schooling that you might be able to apply to a 4 year degree in something later.