If you are a locksmith, auto locksmith or work within the locksmith industry in some way, then you will have probably already heard about the new OfQual regulated qualifications that have just been launched. Why does this mark a change in the locksmith industry? Well up until now there have been no official regulated qualifications for locksmiths, yes, there are many locksmith training centres all across the country teaching locksmith skills, some good, some bad I might add, I mean what do you expect to learn on a 1 or 2 day course? not the ins and outs of one of the oldest professions in the world that's for sure yet this is what some so called training centres where offering.

How the industry worked up until now was that you took part in a training course - passing was usually guaranteed because most training centres have a secondary business, a paid members club - then off you went to tout for work as a locksmith which is the reason why locksmiths have featured numerous times on consumer affairs programme such as BBC's Watchdog and why you see many posts online from people claiming to have had a bad locksmith experience. Some locksmiths simply do not have the required skills due to lack of proper training.

 

Why were locksmith training courses so short before now?

It was all a marketing ploy by some locksmith training providers, they see a rival offering a 7 day course and cut theirs down to 5 days, the rival cuts theirs to 4 and so on, the student thinks about it this way, the sooner they pass the sooner they can start earning money, but it got silly and some training provider started offering 1 or 2 day courses, believe me you cannot learn a profession in 5 days let alone  1 or 2 days, any profession let alone a profession where a company's or individuals security is involved.

 

So why did some locksmiths claim to be qualified when there was no official qualification?

When an industry is unregulated, anyone and any company can say and claim whatever they like and they are breaking no laws, so training companies offered memberships to their own groups and associations with names similar to "UK Locksmith Association", "The Locksmith Trade Group", " Association of Master Locksmiths" etc. - we haven't used real group names but you get the idea. The members got official looking stickers for their vans etc and membership to the group, paid membership in most cases.

With these groups/associations being unofficial and unregulated, there was no actual criteria for being accepted and anyone regardless of their skill level or honesty for that matter could become members or these unofficial , made up groups and associations which was confusing for the public who had no knowledge of how the industry worked.

 

The Official Launch of the Ofqual Regulated Locksmith Qualifications

When OfQual - For those of you who don’t know, The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (OFQUAL) is a non-ministerial government department; which regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England - looked into the industry, they decided that official, regulated courses would be a good idea so the general public and businesses could be satisfied that the locksmith was in fact qualified.

Another good thing about the new OfQual regulated locksmith courses is that they can benefit from all the funding available to other vocational courses and the locksmith courses will eventually be run at colleges and universities with the Manchester Metropolitan University  already on board and preparing to start the courses in the near future.

 

So Why Are Some Locksmiths Upset About These New Courses?

Even though most locksmiths welcome these much needed changes to the industry a number of locksmiths have openly expressed their disapproval online in locksmith forums and on social media with a few bad apples or industry plants trying to start rumours that the regulation is "fake news".

Some locksmiths were however, just angry about the fact that had recently paid for a course that no longer meant anything and had  become paying members of one of the unofficial organisations or groups, anger I might add is misdirected.

Manchester Metropolitan University tried to squash these rumour by holding an open day on Wednesday 9th October, 2019 where members of the UK's most respected locksmith training college - Train Locksmiths -  who were instrumental in bringing in these much needed changes and helped design the new courses,  attended to answer questions about the new courses. Also in attendance were officials from OfQual.

The Open Day was deemed a success with lots of positive feedback from all those in attendance. The organisers were hoping that officials from some of the countries locksmith training centres would attend to find out how they themselves can offer the official courses and what qualifications their teaching staff will need to gain but non were in attendance fuelling rumours in the industry that at least one of the unofficial training centres may be behind the bad press and fake news narrative being pushed online.

Some locksmith training centres were angry that Train Locksmiths had been approached to design the new in-depth training courses and not them, it was however explained to them that Train Locksmiths was in fact the only locksmith training college with qualified and vetted teaching staff due to the fact that they run a number other courses too including Health and Safety and Fire Safety courses.

Also, Train Locksmiths had already been working closely with a number Police Forces and Fire Departments, The Department of Work and Pensions, The Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the Army for a number of years making them the only choice really.

 

What are the New Qualifications?

Information about the new official OfQual regulated courses is now available via https://register.ofqual.gov.uk follow the links below to navigate directly to the correct page.

Level 3 Diploma in Commercial Locksmiths and Property Security

Level 3 Diploma in Automotive Locksmiths and Vehicle Security

These Ofqual regulated qualifications are two of the most advanced academic and vocational courses within the field of locksmithing and contain all the vital theory and skill regarding industry best practices, government legislation and practical experience.

 

What Does This Qualification Mean For The Industry as a whole?

The introduction of these qualifications has brought about an interesting change for the career path of a locksmith. Students are no longer limited to the trainee route or the short 1-5-days courses, they now have the opportunity to study locksmithing at a much deeper level than ever before. Creating a course with a 6-12-month duration is a huge development from the 1-5-day courses. 

As this qualification is the only regulated locksmith qualification in the UK, a National Standard has now been created among the locksmith profession. This means that by completing the qualification, it will enable you to remain complaint with industry standards, for example, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. 

We believe this to be the starting point for even more exciting developments for the industry, launching us all into the 21st Century and we look forward in supporting our students along the way. To discuss these qualifications further you can email us anytime via info@trainlocksmiths.co.uk, or alternatively you can speak to one of our team on 0800 458 5117, we’re available Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

You can learn more about upcoming course date and how to book by visiting the Train Locksmiths website via the linkd below

Level 3 Diploma in Commercial Locksmiths and Property Security

Level 3 Diploma in Automotive Locksmiths and Vehicle Security