Regulating the British Locksmith Industry

[The Pindropper]

As a new guy to this Industry, I found it surprising that it is not regulated.

What are the Pros & cons of this scenario? and now that I consider my self as a 'mature' (in age only, big kid at heart!! )apprentice how can this be developed? or should I butt out!!!

[digital_blue]

OMG.. lookout below!


(continue with can of worms..... )

[pinky]

MLA and various agencies are working hard to get licencing and regulation, government are currently actively looking at this, thats the plus side, the downside is they have been looking at it for years.

we are told that developments are underway and licencing and vetting will be compulsory this year, though i fear it will be no more than a money spinning exercise for local government.

all we can do through MLA and groups is make noise until heard.

[kwc]

For someone like me who agrees with it been regulated, I wish there was a nationwide body such as MLA with LOCAL training.
I wish to learn the trade correctly and most here say only the MLA has a 4 year course to go on.
I have two problems with this.
1 - Iam not in the industry yet and would i be able to start the MLA course.
2 - If its a 4 year course, why not nationwide.

If the industry could set up nationwide local training with the MLA etc then maybe more people would likely be trained in a proper manner
Thanks
Kev

[pinky]

To put things right KWC , MLA do not run a 4 year course , they run an NVQ program which takes 4 years to complete.
You would be expected to attend their first course which has nothing to do with picking and is lock id, key cutting etc, this is a 1 week course at approx £1200, you then must take the student exam to become an advanced student.
You then go away for 12 months and work within industry as a key cutter apprentice etc, you cant take the next course for 12 months, after this time you can learn to pick a lock.

If you wish to enter the industry quicker, then the alternative is to enrol on one of the honest private training courses, that should teach you enough about door entry to get you set up as a self employed locksmith, then once trading you can register with the MLA and register onto the NVQ program, thus be trading and earning whilst achieving your NVQ through MLA.

Either route has its costs and pitfalls, the longest is the MLA route from start to finish, the quickest route is to combine private training with the MLA route, though this can be a minefield avoiding the con artist trainers , with wild claims on earnings and on what can be achieved.

The MLA will not be the sole medium to control licencing nor are the mla capable of running such a program, though they will i hope have significant input.

No body could set up nationwide training, the costs involved would make it unworkable, on any course you need £thousands in picks and £thousands in locks and a custom set up room, without this it cannot work, therfore nationwide training is unachievable. It is cheaper and more practical to have the trainee attend the training centre.

To set up nationwide training centres would be so costly that each training centre would need to train so many people a week to survive in each area that membership dues would be astronomical and with so many people being properly trained their wouldnt be any work in each area to support the trainees businesses.

[prim]

we are told that developments are underway and licencing and vetting will be compulsory this year, though i fear it will be no more than a money spinning exercise for local government.

Hi Pinky with ref to the above, have they set a date for the licencing? cos its seams a bit short notice.

[pinky]

no not as yet, short notice ? its been being talked about for some years now, im told its imminent, but this has been said before, i wont hold my breath

[workstation]

It is indeed surprising that the lock trade is not regulated, since almost every other skilled trade now is... gas fitting, medicine, electrics etc. etc.

It's all becoming quite medieval, if you ask me, but everybody seems so keen on it, even the public.

[kwc]

Hi Pinky,
Thanks for the reply. Its like the chicken and the egg, can't train unless you can get your foot in the door with a locksmith. locksmiths don't want to train. I can fully understand that a locksmith doesnt want to train anyone just to find they start off on there own. This happens in my industry (alarms).

I don't just want to lock pick. My first job was with a locksmith/ alarm installer and we fitted locks, safes, alarms etc. My ideal job, my boss fell ill and sold up before he died. The new company only installed alarms and my locksmith training came to an end.

Like you say, I need to look at private training in my area but don't want to pay for someone to just how to pick locks. I would like proper training to learn all the skills of a locksmith.
I live not too far from Anvil Training (Whitley Bay) but after reading comments on this forum i won't bother contacting them. I did speak to city and guilds to confirm there is a locksmith course with them and they said yes, But is it any good to me really.

Already having a full time job makes it arkward to go on any daytime courses of any length.
I won't give up and i find out and use as much info as i can by myself and hope i hit lucky one day.
Thanks
Kev

[pinky]

steer well clear of whitley bay , if you already have some experience, then join MLA as a student, sit the advanced student exam, and attend their regional courses, the MLA will give you details of all regional members and activity.

you will learn more on here at 101 than on the majority of courses on offer, better to travel down to hereford for a few days with benny wells at safeventures to suit you.