Trade Schools
This page includes information about the best trade schools that offer Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration training in West Virginia.
Here you will find out more about tuition costs, curriculum, accreditation, and information about a variety of factors.
Most programs are designed to be completed in less than two years and combine hands-on training with classroom instruction.
If you live in the region and you’re contemplating the idea of starting a career in the HVAC field, we invite you to read further.
1Ben Franklin Career Center
Ben Franklin Career Center offers training programs for high school students and adults.
Courses Offered
The college offers an HVAC Technician program for high school students.
This program is designed to prepare students for careers in the air conditioning, heating, refrigeration, and sheet metal business and industries.
Students learn through lectures and laboratory experience skills such as how to install and check equipment, service and replace major and minor components, and troubleshoot and analysis of individual units.
The curriculum covers topics such as:
- Basic Electricity
- Soldering and brazing
- Refrigerant handling
- Basic heating and humidification systems
- Heat load calculations
- EPA Certifications
- Customer relation skills
- And more
To qualify for this program, high school students should be juniors in Kanawha County.
Students also need basic math skills and proof of insurance.
A 910-hour HVAC Technician program is also available for adult students.
The adult program costs $5,018 and takes place in the evening from 3:15 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
To qualify for admission to this program, students must be at least 18 years of age.
A high school diploma or equivalency test certificate is also required.
Contact Information
- Address: 500 28th Street, Dunbar, WV 25064
- Phone: 304-766-0369
- Website: https://bf.kana.k12.wv.us
2Putnam Career and Technical Center
About the School
Putnam Career and Technical Center offers training programs for high school and adult students.
Putnam Career and Technical Center is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education.
Courses Offered
An HVAC Technician program is available for both high school and adult students.
All courses offered to first-year students HVAC 1- HVAC follow a certified curriculum adopted by the WV Department of Education through NCCER.
A PM course is available during the second year as an elective.
Students attend classroom instruction and hands-on activities.
The program covers skills such as troubleshooting, servicing, repairing, and installing heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration equipment.
Students also learn safe work practices, and how to use power tools and test equipment.
The following credentials are available:
- OSHA 10-hour Construction Certificate
- EPA refrigerant
- NOCTI Certification
- HVAC through National Center for Construction Education Research Career Readiness.
The program can be completed in 22 months by secondary students and adults who attend part-time and in 10 months by adult full-time students.
Contact Information
- Address: P.O. Box 640, 300 Roosevelt Blvd. Eleanor, WV 25070
- Phone: 304.586.3494
- Website: https://www.pctc.edu
3Carver Career and Technical Education Center
About the School
Carver Career and Technical Education Center offers high school and adult student programs in a wide range of fields.
The Center is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education.
Courses Offered
The HVAC Technician program available at Carver Career and Technical Education Center is designed to be completed in two years by high school students.
The program teaches students how to operate, manage, install, and service HVAC equipment.
The US Environmental Protection Agency Exam covers three topics included in this course: Servicing Small Appliances, Low-Pressure Refrigerants, and High-Pressure Refrigerants.
The program is designed to teach the basics of HVAC/R to help students prepare for entry-level positions.
The curriculum covers topics on:
- Air Conditioning Applications
- Fossil Fuel Heating Systems
- Heating Systems
- Commercial Air Conditioning
- And more
Apprenticeships are also available for students who want to combine school learning with hands-on on-the-job training at an industry partner.
Apprentices learn while earning a wage that increases gradually over the training period.
An HVAC technician program is also available for adult students who have a high school diploma, GED, or TASC.
Contact Information
- Address: 4799 Midland Dr, Charleston, WV 25306
- Phone: 304-348-1965
- Website: https://ccc.kana.k12.wv.us
4Monongalia County Technical Education Center
About the School
Monongalia County Technical Education Center offers career education programs in a variety of areas.
The center’s catalog includes three adult daytime programs and 15 high school career technical education programs.
Monongalia County Technical Education Center is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education.
Courses Offered
The HVAC Technician program is available at the center and includes 900 hours of training.
The program teaches installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of residential and commercial heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems and equipment.
The curriculum covers courses such as:
- Fossil Fuel Heating Systems
- HVAC I-IV
- Advanced Air Conditioning
- Workbase Integration and Transition
- Transition Math for Seniors
- And more
Before being allowed to handle refrigerants, HVAC technicians are required to hold an EPA certification.
The program costs $1,275 per semester.
Technical internships are available for students who have completed a minimum of 675-clock hours of the 900-clock hour program, obtained a minimum of B average, and are seniors or adults in the last semester of the technical program.
Contact Information
- Address: 1000 Mississippi Street, Morgantown, WV 26501
- Phone: 304-291-9240
- Website: https://mtec.mono.k12.wv.us
5Blue Ridge Community and Technical College
About the School
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College provides academic programs in industry fields.
Students can earn a degree or prepare for employment.
Certificate programs that help students start new careers fast and associate degree pathways are available.
In total, 60 pathways that lead to degrees or certificates are available at the college.
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Career Advancement Education in Safety Training, Mechanical, Component, and Electrical Training, Foundations of Plumbing, Electrical Technical, and many other fields is also offered at the college.
Courses Offered
The following programs are available at the College:
- Electrical Technician Certificate Program- this program can be completed in one year and includes 30 credit hours
- Electric Distribution Engineering Technology- a one-year certificate program
- Renewable Energy Systems Certificate- this one-year certificate program prepares students for careers as renewable energy installers and sustainability specialists
- Associate Degree in Engineering Technology
- Associate Degree in Technical Studies
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: Main Campus 13650 Apple Harvest Dr.Martinsburg, WV 25403
- Phone: 304-907-6055
- Website: https://www.blueridgectc.edu
6Cabell County Career Technology Center
About the School
Cabell County Career Technology Center offers a variety of adult education and career technical education programs in Huntington, West Virginia.
Before admission, applicants must complete the Test of Adult Basic Education Exam and score a minimum of 9th-grade level on three components of the test.
Work-based learning is available to provide students with on-the-job experience under the supervision of experienced professionals.
Programs that include 600 hours or more are eligible for financial aid.
Cabell County Career Technology Center is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education.
Courses Offered
The following career education programs are available for adult students:
- Electrical Technician
- HVAC Technician
- HVAC Technician Advanced
- And more
The HVAC Technician program can be completed in one year by full-time students and two years by part-time students.
The curriculum covers topics on basic safety, hand and power tools, communication, trade mathematics, basic electricity, intro to cooling, air distribution systems, commercial airside systems, air quality equipment, troubleshooting gas heating, heat pumps, sheet metal duct systems, and many more.
The program is structured into four major units of study.
Contact Information
- Address: 1035 Norway Avenue, Huntington, WV 25705
- Phone: 304.528.5106
- Website: https://www.cabellschools.com/cabellcountycareertechnologycenter_home
7Fred W Eberle Technical Center
About the School
Fred W Eberle Technical Center provides career training since 1968.
Training programs are available for high school and post-secondary students.
The center provides full-time and part-time programs to meet students’ needs.
The programs combine in-class instruction with hands-on experience and teach the students the ins and outs of the profession they want to pursue.
The Center accepts post-secondary students in Buckhannon, Elkins, Roanoke, and the surrounding areas in North Central West Virginia.
Courses Offered
The Center’s catalog includes the following programs:
- Electrical Technician- an evening program that costs $2,800
- Welding- an evening program that costs $2,615
- Automotive Technology- a daytime program available for high school students that takes place Monday thru Friday
- Electrical Technician- a two-year daytime program available for high school students
Contact Information
- Address: 208 Morton Ave, Buckhannon, WV 26201
- Phone: (304) 472-1259
- Website: https://fetc.edu
8Bridge Valley Community & Technical College
About the School
Bridge Valley Community & Technical College offers a wide range of certifications and degrees that prepare students for careers in a variety of fields.
Tuition is $196 per hour for West Virginia residents.
Bridge Valley Community & Technical College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Courses Offered
The College’s catalog includes programs such as:
- Instrumentation, Measurement & Control Technology AAS, Gas Measurement Concentration
- Commercial HVAC & Building Automation Systems
- Engineering Technology AAS with Electrical Concentration
- Advanced Manufacturing AAS with Maintenance Concentration
- And more
The Commercial HVAC program can be completed in two years and includes the following major subjects:
- HVAC Science
- Large Commercial Units and Commercial HVAC Systems
- Work Experience
- Building Automation Systems Fundamentals
- Building Automation Systems Concepts and Energy Services
Each year includes 252 hours of training.
The HVAC program is limited to 20 students per year.
Students are admitted in the Fall semester each year.
Contact Information
- 2001 Union Carbide Drive, South Charleston, WV 25303 (South Charleston Campus)
- 619 2nd Avenue, Montgomery, WV 25136 (Montgomery Campus)
- Phone: (304) 205-6600
- Website: https://www.bridgevalley.edu
9Garnet Career Center
About the School
Garnet Career Center provides educational programs that prepare students for employment in high-demand industries.
Admission requirements vary by program.
Adult students need a high school diploma, GED, or TASC.
Some programs may also require pre-entrance testing, physical exams, driver’s license.
Garnet Career Center is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education.
Financial aid is available for students who qualify.
Courses Offered
Garnet Career Center provides an Automotive Technology program that includes classes such as:
- Electrical Systems
- Charging Systems
- Fuel Systems
- Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
- Employability Skills
- Work Based Integration
- And more
The cost for the Automotive Technology program is approximately $6,540 in total.
This total cost includes tuition, registration, and fees.
Contact Information
- Address: 422 Dickinson St, Charleston, WV 25301, USA
- Phone: (304) 348-6195
- Website: https://gcc.kana.k12.wv.us
10Ralph R. Willis Career and Technical Center
About the School
Ralph R. Willis offers educational programs for secondary students at Chapmanville Regional High, Logan High, and Man High schools and adults.
Students participate in a state-of-the-art learning environment where they learn life skills and technical abilities.
Ralph R. Willis Career and Technical Center is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education.
Courses Offered
The Center provides an HVAC technician program that covers topics on Introduction to Construction Math, Introduction to Math Tools, Introduction to Power Tools, Introduction to Construction Drawings, Copper and Plastic Piping Practices, Soldering and Brazing, Commercial Airside Systems, Introduction to Hydronic Systems, Air Quality Equipment, Troubleshooting Cooling, and more.
The following electives are also available:
- Air Conditioning Applications- a program that covers mathematical concepts, technical writing, career opportunities, personal and equipment safety, basic compression refrigeration, and more
- AC Heat Systems- a program that introduces students to the knowledge base and technical skills in Heating Systems
- Commercial Air Conditioning
All activities include safety instruction.
Students also learn how to apply problem-solving skills and participate in laboratory activities to understand the concepts covered by the course.
Contact Information
- Address: 144 Vocational Road, Stollings, WV 25646
- Phone: 304-752-4687
- Website: https://rrw.logan.k12.wv.us
Regional Salary in West Virginia
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beckley, WV | 100 | $41,440 | $19.92 | $58,530 | $29,210 |
| Charleston, WV | 390 | $50,030 | $24.06 | $76,840 | $31,070 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 440 | $47,790 | $22.98 | $66,560 | $31,200 |
| Morgantown, WV | 160 | $46,120 | $22.18 | $63,610 | $30,710 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 80 | $39,000 | $18.75 | $55,970 | $29,710 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | 70 | $47,260 | $22.72 | $63,310 | $31,120 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | 130 | $51,040 | $24.54 | $73,850 | $34,140 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Final Thoughts
West Virginia is home to many trade schools that offer HVAC training programs.
Now that you have read our list, it’s time to continue the research and choose the program that best meets your career aspirations and learning style.
