The Keytek™ Locksmith Training Academy was officially launched in 2010 welcoming its first students through the door in March of that year.
To date the Academy has grown in leaps and bounds – from becoming a preferred supplier with the CTP in September 2010, to being given approved centre status by the NCFE in February 2012 – enabling us to offer a level 3 Accreditation. After which we registered to be an approved learning provider with the Military of Defence (MOD) and subsequently from here we were awarded the use of Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) in April 2012. Further to this in January 2013 the Keytek™ Academy were given approval to offer an NCFE level 4 Accreditation, and remains the only Locksmith training supplier able to do so...
The Keytek™ Academy continues to grow, tailoring it’s courses to specific industry requirements, offering advanced courses to those already in the industry wanting to enhance their skills with the latest techniques and technologies.
Below is an interview with our Head Trainer, Craig Hayward.
What type of locksmith courses do you offer?
Our course offerings include something for everyone, a range from 1 day refresher and specialist courses, right through to our NCFE level 4 accredited complete 8 day course.
What are the locksmith training facilities like?
The Keytek™ Locksmith Training Academy (LSTA) is a purpose built; state of the art Locksmith training facility. The building consists of a classroom where the majority of the presentations are held and a main practical training area. Each candidate is allocated their own brand new wooden door and frame with a fully functioning uPVC door profile and mechanism attached in a custom built rig, giving each of the candidates their own personal workspace throughout the week.
I’m military; can I use my ELC funding towards a course?
Yes, we are an approved provider learning provider with the MOD, both the 5 and 8 day courses hold a level 4 Accreditation. More information on claiming ELC can be found on our website www.locksmiths-training.co.uk/elc-funding/
Do you offer courses for specialist areas of expertise such as auto locksmithing and UPVC repair?
We offer courses in many specialist areas of locksmithing including UPVC, Non-Destructive Entry, Vehicle Opening , Boarding up, Mortice Picking.
I’m not very academic – how much of the course is written compared with practical?
The Locksmith profession is very hands on and so are our courses. There are presentations included within each course, tailored to ensure that we present only relevant information so as not to overload the candidate with unneeded information. We provide hand-outs covering each sessions contents at the end of each day, this way our candidates don’t get swamped in a huge file of information at the end of the course and are able to digest each section in bite sized chunks.
Will I get any accreditation or qualification on completion of the course?
Keytek™ are proud to be the only Locksmith Training provider in the UK to be offering an NCFE Level 4 Accreditation – the highest level of accreditation within the industry at present. We take pride in the fact that with no formal ‘Qualifications’ available to Locksmiths, we are able to offer the very highest in Accreditation standards to the Industry. Keytek™ locksmiths also operate the only fully Accredited Locksmith network in the UK.
Do I need any qualifications to legally operate as a locksmith?
Technically, no! The Locksmith Industry continues to operate with no legal guidance or regulation. The good news is that more and more training centres are choosing to offer an independent accreditation on successful completion of their course which is helping to ensure a consistent level of competency for all new locksmiths to the Industry. The majority of courses offering a level 3 Accreditation or above are considered within the industry to be the most widely accepted standard of training.
Do you offer assistance and guidance on other areas of starting my locksmith business?
All of our courses contain valuable information on how to start your own Locksmith business and are based on many years of experience, backed up by a complete support mechanism at head office including an Accounts team, a 24 hour Technical Support Team, Marketing and Engineer Liaison departments. We also offer a 3 day on site experience with one of the instructors from the training Academy, visiting real customers on real jobs, which has proven to be a great success and helps demonstrate good business operation.
Can you help me find work once I have passed the course?
Absolutely! The Keytek™ LSTA was launched to support the Keytek™ Locksmith engineer network. Part of the course booking process includes offering each candidate an overview of potential work available to them on a sub contractual basis through Keytek™ Locksmiths. We actively recruit in areas that we need extra coverage or support, meaning if a candidate is booked on a course, on successful completion the likelihood is that we will be able to offer work to them.
Do you supply on-going support once I have completed my course should I come up against a difficult situation?
Full back up and support is available to each and every candidate on completion of any course. We have a number of departments as mentioned previously that can help you with every aspect of running your business, from accounting through to ordering replacement parts. We also have a dedicated out of hours Technical line with highly skilled and experienced Locksmiths, available 24/7 to help you with those tricky little jobs!
Which tools do you recommend to your graduates?
We like to let each candidate make up their own mind on which tools they would like to purchase, but to help with the decision making process we have a huge range of tools available to trial on the course from a host of manufacturers. The course is predominantly hands on and each candidate has plenty of time, with tuition, to get to grips with the range of tools on offer.
Craig Hayward
Head Trainer at the Keytek™ Locksmith Training Academy
For more information on the courses offered at the Locksmith Training Academy please visit www.locksmiths-training.co.uk
