For those who don't know 2019 saw big changes for the locksmith industry, most locksmiths did welcome the planned changes saying that industry was in desperate need of change and regulation but some locksmiths and a few self-appointed training centres were not so thrilled about what was planned, but why?
Well let's first discuss the changes and the self-appointed locksmith training centres, what this term actually means and why they were resistant to the planned changes.
The locksmith industry, like many industries has no official regulation meaning anyone can set themselves up as a locksmith with very little knowledge or skill and are doing nothing wrong in the eyes of the law, it's not just the locksmith industry that is without regulation, many industries and trades operate without regulation such as plasterers, roofers, joiners, gardeners.
However, over the years thanks to inexpensive and even free internet advertising becoming available to all, online 100% guaranteed pass locksmith courses and the availability of cheap imported tools, the number of amateur unskilled locksmiths trading in the UK surpassed the number of skilled, professional locksmiths for the first time with record numbers of complaints to trading standards and even the police, unfortunately for the victims, if a locksmith turns up does a bad job, makes a mess of your property and then overcharges you too it's seen as a civil matter leaving you to deal with the aftermath yourself through the small claims court, a route that is expensive and time-consuming and not worth the trouble to most people so the rogues of the locksmith industry get away with time and time again.
Due to the record numbers of complaints being made on a weekly basis, reports to consumer affair programs and a few serious incidents caused by unskilled, incompetent locksmiths the powers that be in the industry finally decided to look into the industry as a whole and bring in much needed changes.
After many months of research Train Locksmith, Atherton, Gtr Manchester (the foremost experts in the locksmith industry and respected locksmith training college) designed two new in-depth locksmith training courses, one for the domestic and commercial side and one for the automotive side that where to become the official OfQual regulated courses and in October 2019 after many months of working in secret two new in-depth locksmith courses were released that where subsequently regulated by Ofqual becoming the only locksmith qualifications to appear on the Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications , but there was still a problem.
Because no other locksmith training provider had staff with any teaching qualifications they could not legally run OfQual regulated courses.
In an unregulated industry anyone can set up a training centre or offer courses, I mean look at the number of Google Adwords and Organic Marketing Courses available online, run by people who themselves have no knowledge of the industry, again this is not illegal, but in my eye it IS a scam.
It was discovered most locksmith training centres were selling 5 and even 3 day locksmith courses promising certification and full knowledge of the industry, which is ridiculous, 3 days to learn an entire trade and certification in an unregulated industry! In reality these courses were just a precursor to getting the trainees to sign up to private locksmith club with an annual fee.
Train Locksmiths, Atherton with fully qualified teaching staff, and when I say qualified I mean qualified to work in schools and colleges as teachers as well as being skilled in the locksmith profession too where in fact the only training centre qualified to write and design the new courses, but when the qualifications were finally announced in October 2019 after gaining OfQual regulation some of the other self appointment training centres where angry that they had not been the ones to develop new courses and a few of their supporters, members and staff took to social media rubbishing the new qualifications and in some cases describing them as fake so as to put people off.
So is the Locksmith Industry Now Regulated?
Short answer is no, because as there is only one training centre currently qualified to run the official Ofqual regulated courses it will take years for all the locksmiths currently operating and trading in the UK to achieved the new qualification which is no longer a quick 5 day course, it's now an indepth 6 months course with both written and practical parts so at the moment locksmiths CAN still trade and compulsory regulation may still be a number of years away if it happens at all due the current state of the industry.
Many of the locksmith training centres who were against the new in-depth course are still offering their own short, limited non Ofqual regulated courses, one of them is going all out with online promotion of their courses before the Ofqual regulated courses become common knowledge, unfortunately many naive people are even choosing the non Ofqual regulated courses when they are aware of the alternatie due to the fact that they are cheaper and shorter.
Read more about each course here.
Level 3 Diploma In Commercial Locksmiths And Property Security
Level 3 Diploma In Automotive Locksmiths And Vehicle Security
To Discuss These Opportunities Further Please visit the official locksmith training website www.trainlocksmiths.co.uk